Narrative:

The flight in 'chopper X' started at morristown airport (mmu), heading eastbound to cover a breaking news story in brooklyn, ny. Initial contact with newark tower (ewr) was obtained about 9 mi northwest of ewr for a transition eastbound through ewr's class B airspace on the published '280 helicopter route.' ATC cleared me into class B on the '280 route' at or below 800 ft. When I was about 6 mi north of ewr, ATC pointed out a B757 on final approach to ewr's runway 22L. I responded 'I have the traffic in sight. I'll maintain visual separation and I'll pass behind him.' when I was about 4 mi northeast ATC called me again and asked 'chopper X, you still have the B757, right?' I responded 'I have him in sight. I'll maintain visual.' at about that point the B757 was passing about 3/4 of a mi in front of me with about an 800 ft vertical separation. The next call from ATC was to terminate radar service at the hudson river by the holland tunnel. The eastbound transition on the '280 route' was performed as published and no 'unusual' occurrences was noted on my part. Later, returning wbound to mmu on the '280 route,' ewr told me to contact them on the telephone after arriving at mmu. When talking to ewr on the phone, they told me that the captain of the B757 had filed a report for a 'near miss.' this came as a surprise to me since I was following a published helicopter route controled by ATC in class B airspace. At no time did I lose sight of the B757, go above my assigned altitude, make any evasive maneuvers or deviations on the published route to avoid him. And as far as I could see, the B757 did not make any evasive maneuvers to avoid me. I have been flying helicopter's in the new york metropolitan area for about 12 yrs and I use the '280 route' through ewr's airspace daily. This is the first time I ever had any problems on this route. What caused the action from the B757 captain, I don't know. Maybe he got a warning on his TCASII or ATC did not point me out, since arrs are handled on a different frequency. From my point, safe flight was never jeopardized. To prevent this from happening again I think ewr's runway 22 arrs should be familiar with the helicopter route crossing below the runway 22 finals. Like I said before, this is the first problem I have had on this route in 12 yrs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NEWS GATHERING HELI PLT FLEW TOO CLOSE TO A B757 ON AN ILS APCH TO RWY 22L 3 PT 3 NM NE OF EWR, NJ.

Narrative: THE FLT IN 'CHOPPER X' STARTED AT MORRISTOWN ARPT (MMU), HEADING EBOUND TO COVER A BREAKING NEWS STORY IN BROOKLYN, NY. INITIAL CONTACT WITH NEWARK TWR (EWR) WAS OBTAINED ABOUT 9 MI NW OF EWR FOR A TRANSITION EBOUND THROUGH EWR'S CLASS B AIRSPACE ON THE PUBLISHED '280 HELI RTE.' ATC CLRED ME INTO CLASS B ON THE '280 RTE' AT OR BELOW 800 FT. WHEN I WAS ABOUT 6 MI N OF EWR, ATC POINTED OUT A B757 ON FINAL APCH TO EWR'S RWY 22L. I RESPONDED 'I HAVE THE TFC IN SIGHT. I'LL MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION AND I'LL PASS BEHIND HIM.' WHEN I WAS ABOUT 4 MI NE ATC CALLED ME AGAIN AND ASKED 'CHOPPER X, YOU STILL HAVE THE B757, RIGHT?' I RESPONDED 'I HAVE HIM IN SIGHT. I'LL MAINTAIN VISUAL.' AT ABOUT THAT POINT THE B757 WAS PASSING ABOUT 3/4 OF A MI IN FRONT OF ME WITH ABOUT AN 800 FT VERT SEPARATION. THE NEXT CALL FROM ATC WAS TO TERMINATE RADAR SVC AT THE HUDSON RIVER BY THE HOLLAND TUNNEL. THE EBOUND TRANSITION ON THE '280 RTE' WAS PERFORMED AS PUBLISHED AND NO 'UNUSUAL' OCCURRENCES WAS NOTED ON MY PART. LATER, RETURNING WBOUND TO MMU ON THE '280 RTE,' EWR TOLD ME TO CONTACT THEM ON THE TELEPHONE AFTER ARRIVING AT MMU. WHEN TALKING TO EWR ON THE PHONE, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE CAPT OF THE B757 HAD FILED A RPT FOR A 'NEAR MISS.' THIS CAME AS A SURPRISE TO ME SINCE I WAS FOLLOWING A PUBLISHED HELI RTE CTLED BY ATC IN CLASS B AIRSPACE. AT NO TIME DID I LOSE SIGHT OF THE B757, GO ABOVE MY ASSIGNED ALT, MAKE ANY EVASIVE MANEUVERS OR DEVS ON THE PUBLISHED RTE TO AVOID HIM. AND AS FAR AS I COULD SEE, THE B757 DID NOT MAKE ANY EVASIVE MANEUVERS TO AVOID ME. I HAVE BEEN FLYING HELI'S IN THE NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA FOR ABOUT 12 YRS AND I USE THE '280 RTE' THROUGH EWR'S AIRSPACE DAILY. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I EVER HAD ANY PROBS ON THIS RTE. WHAT CAUSED THE ACTION FROM THE B757 CAPT, I DON'T KNOW. MAYBE HE GOT A WARNING ON HIS TCASII OR ATC DID NOT POINT ME OUT, SINCE ARRS ARE HANDLED ON A DIFFERENT FREQ. FROM MY POINT, SAFE FLT WAS NEVER JEOPARDIZED. TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN I THINK EWR'S RWY 22 ARRS SHOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH THE HELI RTE XING BELOW THE RWY 22 FINALS. LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THIS IS THE FIRST PROB I HAVE HAD ON THIS RTE IN 12 YRS.

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.