Narrative:

While operating an electronic news gathering helicopter, as- 350BA, radio call chopper X in the area of a major breaking news event. Chopper X was dispatched to the area of kelly and morang, approximately 2.8 mi on a 070 degree bearing from detroit city airport, to cover a breaking news story. At the scene were 2 other electronic news gathering helicopters, chopper and another helicopter not known to me, but he was known by chopper Y. Chopper Y is operated by XXXX tv. We asked and received permission from det tower to operate on radio frequency 123.025 as to keep the city tower frequency free of chatter. We set up counterclockwise orbits and agreed on altitudes for each helicopter to operate. I, in chopper X, would operate at 1700 ft MSL, chopper Y at 1400 ft MSL, and the other helicopter at 2000 ft MSL. After about 35 mins or so 2 more helicopters came on scene, a jet ranger and a 222. They made a few orbits at 1200 ft MSL or lower and departed the area after about 15 mins. At about this time chopper Y asked if he could move up to 1700 ft MSL, and chopper X moving down to 1400 ft MSL. I stated ok and the change was made with the helicopters 90 degrees to each other in the orbit. About 4 or 5 more orbits were made at these altitudes when the near miss occurred. While in a 20 degree bank left turn I looked to my right to find chopper Y at my altitude and coming straight at me from the right. I made a hard diving left turn and avoided the other helicopter by about 200-300 ft horizontally, and about 150 ft vertically and airspeed at the time was about 65 KTS. Chopper Y stated that he thought he was still at 1700 ft MSL and that he was sorry about the change in his orbit without telling us, he stated they were live at the time. We were all live (live tv pictures) for about 1 1/2 hours straight. City tower was not informed of the near miss as the helicopters involved operate at news scenes together on a regular basis, and the matter was resolved over the radio. But this information should be made available so the other electronic news gathering helicopter operators can be aware of the hazards of this type of operation. The WX was clear and visibility was better than 8 mi and everyone was talking to each other. But in this type of operation it is not uncommon to have as many as 5 radios going, and be trying to put a live tv picture on the air at the same time. Sometimes as many as 7-10 aircraft try to occupy 1000 ft by 1/2 mi piece of airspace. The smallest distraction, such as the pilot broadcasting live on tv, a problem with the camera, anything that takes the pilot away from the primary job of plting, even a small change in your orbit or speed, can cause an incident like the one described here. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he and the other pilot have been friends for yrs and have discussed the situation. Reporter aircraft and equipment is a bit better quality than the other pilot so he can operate from higher altitude and still get his pictures. The other reporter was just used to being at lower altitude and it did not seem out of the ordinary for his proximity to the ground. Also the other pilot is a reporter as well as pilot. This complicates his job. He does it all the time, but it is an extra workload when trying to fly the helicopter. For some reason the other pilot changed his orbit from the agreed one and flew a more elliptical pattern. Reporter helicopter is equipped with 2 radios, the only media aircraft that is, so he can keep the tower frequency up as well as the communication between the aircraft. Also the tower can monitor the common frequency used by the media crews. Media coverage in the area has increased and reporter is quite aware of the need to cooperate with each other on these news scenes. He flew the police helicopter for 10 yrs and understands their technique and they try to stay away from the altitudes usually used by the police helicopters. The term 'engine' is standard among the media for 'electronic news gathering.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEDIA HELI HAS NMAC WITH SECOND MEDIA HELI OVER NEWS SCENE.

Narrative: WHILE OPERATING AN ELECTRONIC NEWS GATHERING HELI, AS- 350BA, RADIO CALL CHOPPER X IN THE AREA OF A MAJOR BREAKING NEWS EVENT. CHOPPER X WAS DISPATCHED TO THE AREA OF KELLY AND MORANG, APPROX 2.8 MI ON A 070 DEG BEARING FROM DETROIT CITY ARPT, TO COVER A BREAKING NEWS STORY. AT THE SCENE WERE 2 OTHER ELECTRONIC NEWS GATHERING HELIS, CHOPPER AND ANOTHER HELI NOT KNOWN TO ME, BUT HE WAS KNOWN BY CHOPPER Y. CHOPPER Y IS OPERATED BY XXXX TV. WE ASKED AND RECEIVED PERMISSION FROM DET TWR TO OPERATE ON RADIO FREQ 123.025 AS TO KEEP THE CITY TWR FREQ FREE OF CHATTER. WE SET UP COUNTERCLOCKWISE ORBITS AND AGREED ON ALTS FOR EACH HELI TO OPERATE. I, IN CHOPPER X, WOULD OPERATE AT 1700 FT MSL, CHOPPER Y AT 1400 FT MSL, AND THE OTHER HELI AT 2000 FT MSL. AFTER ABOUT 35 MINS OR SO 2 MORE HELIS CAME ON SCENE, A JET RANGER AND A 222. THEY MADE A FEW ORBITS AT 1200 FT MSL OR LOWER AND DEPARTED THE AREA AFTER ABOUT 15 MINS. AT ABOUT THIS TIME CHOPPER Y ASKED IF HE COULD MOVE UP TO 1700 FT MSL, AND CHOPPER X MOVING DOWN TO 1400 FT MSL. I STATED OK AND THE CHANGE WAS MADE WITH THE HELIS 90 DEGS TO EACH OTHER IN THE ORBIT. ABOUT 4 OR 5 MORE ORBITS WERE MADE AT THESE ALTS WHEN THE NEAR MISS OCCURRED. WHILE IN A 20 DEG BANK L TURN I LOOKED TO MY R TO FIND CHOPPER Y AT MY ALT AND COMING STRAIGHT AT ME FROM THE R. I MADE A HARD DIVING L TURN AND AVOIDED THE OTHER HELI BY ABOUT 200-300 FT HORIZLY, AND ABOUT 150 FT VERTLY AND AIRSPD AT THE TIME WAS ABOUT 65 KTS. CHOPPER Y STATED THAT HE THOUGHT HE WAS STILL AT 1700 FT MSL AND THAT HE WAS SORRY ABOUT THE CHANGE IN HIS ORBIT WITHOUT TELLING US, HE STATED THEY WERE LIVE AT THE TIME. WE WERE ALL LIVE (LIVE TV PICTURES) FOR ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS STRAIGHT. CITY TWR WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE NEAR MISS AS THE HELIS INVOLVED OPERATE AT NEWS SCENES TOGETHER ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND THE MATTER WAS RESOLVED OVER THE RADIO. BUT THIS INFO SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE SO THE OTHER ELECTRONIC NEWS GATHERING HELI OPERATORS CAN BE AWARE OF THE HAZARDS OF THIS TYPE OF OP. THE WX WAS CLR AND VISIBILITY WAS BETTER THAN 8 MI AND EVERYONE WAS TALKING TO EACH OTHER. BUT IN THIS TYPE OF OP IT IS NOT UNCOMMON TO HAVE AS MANY AS 5 RADIOS GOING, AND BE TRYING TO PUT A LIVE TV PICTURE ON THE AIR AT THE SAME TIME. SOMETIMES AS MANY AS 7-10 ACFT TRY TO OCCUPY 1000 FT BY 1/2 MI PIECE OF AIRSPACE. THE SMALLEST DISTR, SUCH AS THE PLT BROADCASTING LIVE ON TV, A PROB WITH THE CAMERA, ANYTHING THAT TAKES THE PLT AWAY FROM THE PRIMARY JOB OF PLTING, EVEN A SMALL CHANGE IN YOUR ORBIT OR SPD, CAN CAUSE AN INCIDENT LIKE THE ONE DESCRIBED HERE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE AND THE OTHER PLT HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR YRS AND HAVE DISCUSSED THE SIT. RPTR ACFT AND EQUIP IS A BIT BETTER QUALITY THAN THE OTHER PLT SO HE CAN OPERATE FROM HIGHER ALT AND STILL GET HIS PICTURES. THE OTHER RPTR WAS JUST USED TO BEING AT LOWER ALT AND IT DID NOT SEEM OUT OF THE ORDINARY FOR HIS PROX TO THE GND. ALSO THE OTHER PLT IS A RPTR AS WELL AS PLT. THIS COMPLICATES HIS JOB. HE DOES IT ALL THE TIME, BUT IT IS AN EXTRA WORKLOAD WHEN TRYING TO FLY THE HELI. FOR SOME REASON THE OTHER PLT CHANGED HIS ORBIT FROM THE AGREED ONE AND FLEW A MORE ELLIPTICAL PATTERN. RPTR HELI IS EQUIPPED WITH 2 RADIOS, THE ONLY MEDIA ACFT THAT IS, SO HE CAN KEEP THE TWR FREQ UP AS WELL AS THE COM BTWN THE ACFT. ALSO THE TWR CAN MONITOR THE COMMON FREQ USED BY THE MEDIA CREWS. MEDIA COVERAGE IN THE AREA HAS INCREASED AND RPTR IS QUITE AWARE OF THE NEED TO COOPERATE WITH EACH OTHER ON THESE NEWS SCENES. HE FLEW THE POLICE HELI FOR 10 YRS AND UNDERSTANDS THEIR TECHNIQUE AND THEY TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM THE ALTS USUALLY USED BY THE POLICE HELIS. THE TERM 'ENG' IS STANDARD AMONG THE MEDIA FOR 'ELECTRONIC NEWS GATHERING.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.