Narrative:

On jan/xa/99 at XB05, as pilot of a bell helicopter operating offshore in the gulf of mexico near mobile, al, a military falcon jet passed down my left side from behind, level, with a lateral separation of approximately 1000 yards then abruptly turned right crossing directly in front of my aircraft terrifying my passenger and further endangering us with his wake. Backgnd: the WX was clear and cool with light winds and no restrs to visibility or ceiling. At XA55, I was operating far part 135 with 2 passenger on board departed an oil platform on a company VFR flight plan to another platform, heading nnw at 500 ft and 105 KTS when the high speed jet overtook us. The passenger in the rear of my aircraft (an experienced offshore oil field hand) called out in alarm that a collision was imminent, 'descend!' I went to flat pitch just as the events in the first paragraph unfolded unsure as to whether I was being intercepted crossing the ADIZ or being forced to land for some reason. I verified that my transponder was on, functioning and set to the appropriate offshore code -- it was. I immediately idented myself several times on VHF guard 121.5 so the military pilot wouldn't do that again. There was no response. I made repeated calls on VHF 123.1 and on VHF 122.8, the unicom frequency for nearby dauphin island airport. The military aircraft did not respond and was not seen again. Your pilot later explained that he was at 500 ft altitude over 200 KTS and had been alerted to my presence by his TCASII. The commander pointed out the 'see and be seen' nature of that environment and noted that I had taken no evasive action. Comments: 1) I was the overtaken aircraft. Your jet approaching from my 6 O'clock without warning was the burdened aircraft. 2) I was doing everything right -- legally and safe, yet if my transponder had malfunctioned, we would all probably be dead right now. Final comments: the first 3 pilots in a row that I mentioned this incident to all said exactly the same thing -- 'sounds familiar' -- and proceeded to relate their own falcon near disaster, but none had ever reported their mishaps to anyone. There is simply no incentive to do that and unfortunately the FAA is not a viable avenue of approach to such matters. As a result, your problem (risk level) may be much, much higher than you realize. I wrote this weeks ago but didn't mail it until my second 500 ft less than 1 mi falcon encounter in 2 mi visibility at XA30 on mar/xb/99 near VK124. If you do not make operational changes to reduce the risk you pose to others and statistically monitor TCASII alerts, I am convinced that you will negligently continue to endanger others in this region with that particular aircraft. A high speed collision with an innocent helicopter crew will be graphic, costly, fatal, and most of all unnecessary. You have the wrong tool for the job around here sir.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE PLT OF A B06 RPTS THAT A UNITED STATES MIL FA20 PASSED NEAR TO HIM AND TURNED IN FRONT OF HIM WHILE HE WAS ENRTE BTWN 2 OIL PLATFORMS AT 500 FT ALT. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO THIS PLT TWICE.

Narrative: ON JAN/XA/99 AT XB05, AS PLT OF A BELL HELI OPERATING OFFSHORE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO NEAR MOBILE, AL, A MIL FALCON JET PASSED DOWN MY L SIDE FROM BEHIND, LEVEL, WITH A LATERAL SEPARATION OF APPROX 1000 YARDS THEN ABRUPTLY TURNED R XING DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF MY ACFT TERRIFYING MY PAX AND FURTHER ENDANGERING US WITH HIS WAKE. BACKGND: THE WX WAS CLR AND COOL WITH LIGHT WINDS AND NO RESTRS TO VISIBILITY OR CEILING. AT XA55, I WAS OPERATING FAR PART 135 WITH 2 PAX ON BOARD DEPARTED AN OIL PLATFORM ON A COMPANY VFR FLT PLAN TO ANOTHER PLATFORM, HDG NNW AT 500 FT AND 105 KTS WHEN THE HIGH SPD JET OVERTOOK US. THE PAX IN THE REAR OF MY ACFT (AN EXPERIENCED OFFSHORE OIL FIELD HAND) CALLED OUT IN ALARM THAT A COLLISION WAS IMMINENT, 'DSND!' I WENT TO FLAT PITCH JUST AS THE EVENTS IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH UNFOLDED UNSURE AS TO WHETHER I WAS BEING INTERCEPTED XING THE ADIZ OR BEING FORCED TO LAND FOR SOME REASON. I VERIFIED THAT MY XPONDER WAS ON, FUNCTIONING AND SET TO THE APPROPRIATE OFFSHORE CODE -- IT WAS. I IMMEDIATELY IDENTED MYSELF SEVERAL TIMES ON VHF GUARD 121.5 SO THE MIL PLT WOULDN'T DO THAT AGAIN. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. I MADE REPEATED CALLS ON VHF 123.1 AND ON VHF 122.8, THE UNICOM FREQ FOR NEARBY DAUPHIN ISLAND ARPT. THE MIL ACFT DID NOT RESPOND AND WAS NOT SEEN AGAIN. YOUR PLT LATER EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS AT 500 FT ALT OVER 200 KTS AND HAD BEEN ALERTED TO MY PRESENCE BY HIS TCASII. THE COMMANDER POINTED OUT THE 'SEE AND BE SEEN' NATURE OF THAT ENVIRONMENT AND NOTED THAT I HAD TAKEN NO EVASIVE ACTION. COMMENTS: 1) I WAS THE OVERTAKEN ACFT. YOUR JET APCHING FROM MY 6 O'CLOCK WITHOUT WARNING WAS THE BURDENED ACFT. 2) I WAS DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT -- LEGALLY AND SAFE, YET IF MY XPONDER HAD MALFUNCTIONED, WE WOULD ALL PROBABLY BE DEAD RIGHT NOW. FINAL COMMENTS: THE FIRST 3 PLTS IN A ROW THAT I MENTIONED THIS INCIDENT TO ALL SAID EXACTLY THE SAME THING -- 'SOUNDS FAMILIAR' -- AND PROCEEDED TO RELATE THEIR OWN FALCON NEAR DISASTER, BUT NONE HAD EVER RPTED THEIR MISHAPS TO ANYONE. THERE IS SIMPLY NO INCENTIVE TO DO THAT AND UNFORTUNATELY THE FAA IS NOT A VIABLE AVENUE OF APCH TO SUCH MATTERS. AS A RESULT, YOUR PROB (RISK LEVEL) MAY BE MUCH, MUCH HIGHER THAN YOU REALIZE. I WROTE THIS WKS AGO BUT DIDN'T MAIL IT UNTIL MY SECOND 500 FT LESS THAN 1 MI FALCON ENCOUNTER IN 2 MI VISIBILITY AT XA30 ON MAR/XB/99 NEAR VK124. IF YOU DO NOT MAKE OPERATIONAL CHANGES TO REDUCE THE RISK YOU POSE TO OTHERS AND STATISTICALLY MONITOR TCASII ALERTS, I AM CONVINCED THAT YOU WILL NEGLIGENTLY CONTINUE TO ENDANGER OTHERS IN THIS REGION WITH THAT PARTICULAR ACFT. A HIGH SPD COLLISION WITH AN INNOCENT HELI CREW WILL BE GRAPHIC, COSTLY, FATAL, AND MOST OF ALL UNNECESSARY. YOU HAVE THE WRONG TOOL FOR THE JOB AROUND HERE SIR.

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.