Near midair collision between an enstrom helicopter on a sightseeing flight, and a low wing piper do...

Attributes
ACN	417006
Time
Date	199810
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : 58m airport : 58m
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1400 msl bound upper : 1400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	F-28 Enstrom Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Piper Aircraft Corp Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 1670 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	417006
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 150
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

At XX15 local 5 NM east of raintree airpark on oct/xa/98, sightseeing, 2 passenger. 15-20 mins prior to incident, a piper was training out to the north approximately 5 NM. I was on a sightseeing trip with 2 passenger, and as always they are taking pictures and moving about. The enstrom helicopter has a bench seat, so all 3 of us sat next to each other. I repeatedly asked the 2 of them to situation back as much as possible so I could see other traffic. I knew the piper was in the immediate area and I was actively looking for it. Again, I saw the 2 passenger leaning very far forward and to the right, once again blocking my field of vision. I asked them again to lean back once again. Just as they leaned back the piper flew underneath me, at about 150 ft below me. It then went out to my 8 O'clock position parallel to my course. Distance was approximately 1/4 mi from me and it maintained that position for 5-10 mins and then rolled left and flew off. I continued on my present heading. I'm not sure if because of my 2 passenger blocking my field of view that I never saw the plane coming at me from the right, or as I stated earlier, I observed aircraft #2 doing maneuvers and training, that it possibly came out of a maneuver not seeing me and took evasive action.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN AN ENSTROM HELI ON A SIGHTSEEING FLT, AND A LOW WING PIPER DOING TRAINING MANEUVERS. THE HELI PLT FIRST OBSERVED THE PIPER ACFT GO UNDERNEATH HIS ACFT FROM R TO L AT A DISTANCE OF 150 FT.

Narrative: AT XX15 LCL 5 NM E OF RAINTREE AIRPARK ON OCT/XA/98, SIGHTSEEING, 2 PAX. 15-20 MINS PRIOR TO INCIDENT, A PIPER WAS TRAINING OUT TO THE N APPROX 5 NM. I WAS ON A SIGHTSEEING TRIP WITH 2 PAX, AND AS ALWAYS THEY ARE TAKING PICTURES AND MOVING ABOUT. THE ENSTROM HELI HAS A BENCH SEAT, SO ALL 3 OF US SAT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. I REPEATEDLY ASKED THE 2 OF THEM TO SIT BACK AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SO I COULD SEE OTHER TFC. I KNEW THE PIPER WAS IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA AND I WAS ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR IT. AGAIN, I SAW THE 2 PAX LEANING VERY FAR FORWARD AND TO THE R, ONCE AGAIN BLOCKING MY FIELD OF VISION. I ASKED THEM AGAIN TO LEAN BACK ONCE AGAIN. JUST AS THEY LEANED BACK THE PIPER FLEW UNDERNEATH ME, AT ABOUT 150 FT BELOW ME. IT THEN WENT OUT TO MY 8 O'CLOCK POS PARALLEL TO MY COURSE. DISTANCE WAS APPROX 1/4 MI FROM ME AND IT MAINTAINED THAT POS FOR 5-10 MINS AND THEN ROLLED L AND FLEW OFF. I CONTINUED ON MY PRESENT HDG. I'M NOT SURE IF BECAUSE OF MY 2 PAX BLOCKING MY FIELD OF VIEW THAT I NEVER SAW THE PLANE COMING AT ME FROM THE R, OR AS I STATED EARLIER, I OBSERVED ACFT #2 DOING MANEUVERS AND TRAINING, THAT IT POSSIBLY CAME OUT OF A MANEUVER NOT SEEING ME AND TOOK EVASIVE ACTION.

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.

Near midair collision between an enstrom helicopter on a sightseeing flight, and a low wing piper doing training maneuvers. The helicopter pilot first observed the piper aircraft go underneath his aircraft from right to left at a distance of 150 ft.