Narrative:

I was flying a helicopter for a local television station covering news in the area. Just prior to XA00, a fire broke out in an apartment building. All of the local television news helicopters are in the air at this time of day and we all proceeded to the area. As the various aircraft arrived, they either set up in a hover or an orbit in order to cover the story. Fire was raging out of the windows of a 12TH floor apartment and this was a very legitimate news story. I recall approximately 5 news helicopters being on the scene. We were all in communication with each other on our common frequency. As is customary, we continuously monitored each other's position and announced our movements on the common frequency. The reason I am submitting this form is because one of the pilots has advised me that she has been contacted by the los angeles FSDO and accused of flying too low over the incident. Most of us covered the story for 30-45 mins and at no time did I ever see any of the aircraft, including mine, operate lower than about 1300 ft MSL, which would be approximately 1000 ft AGL. Someone may have operated a little lower and I didn't see them, but I personally never went below 1300 ft and don't recall seeing anyone significantly lower than me. I know this is a noise sensitive area and we discussed that at a recent meeting between news media pilots and the local law enforcement pilots just a few weeks ago. We try to avoid this area in our general travels, but when a significant news story such as this happens, we have to cover it. We are also going to operate safely, with good communications between aircraft and at safe and legal altitudes. That is what everyone at this incident did, in my opinion, and I did not see or hear any of the media aircraft operate at extremely low altitudes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AS350 CONTRACT PLT FOR A TV STATION CITES AN FAA INVESTIGATION OF CHARGES AGAINST ANOTHER ROTARY WINGED PLT FOR FLYING TOO LOW OVER A RESTR AREA DURING A FIRE COVERAGE FLT, 7 MI S OF BUR, CA.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A HELI FOR A LCL TELEVISION STATION COVERING NEWS IN THE AREA. JUST PRIOR TO XA00, A FIRE BROKE OUT IN AN APARTMENT BUILDING. ALL OF THE LCL TELEVISION NEWS HELIS ARE IN THE AIR AT THIS TIME OF DAY AND WE ALL PROCEEDED TO THE AREA. AS THE VARIOUS ACFT ARRIVED, THEY EITHER SET UP IN A HOVER OR AN ORBIT IN ORDER TO COVER THE STORY. FIRE WAS RAGING OUT OF THE WINDOWS OF A 12TH FLOOR APARTMENT AND THIS WAS A VERY LEGITIMATE NEWS STORY. I RECALL APPROX 5 NEWS HELIS BEING ON THE SCENE. WE WERE ALL IN COM WITH EACH OTHER ON OUR COMMON FREQ. AS IS CUSTOMARY, WE CONTINUOUSLY MONITORED EACH OTHER'S POS AND ANNOUNCED OUR MOVEMENTS ON THE COMMON FREQ. THE REASON I AM SUBMITTING THIS FORM IS BECAUSE ONE OF THE PLTS HAS ADVISED ME THAT SHE HAS BEEN CONTACTED BY THE LOS ANGELES FSDO AND ACCUSED OF FLYING TOO LOW OVER THE INCIDENT. MOST OF US COVERED THE STORY FOR 30-45 MINS AND AT NO TIME DID I EVER SEE ANY OF THE ACFT, INCLUDING MINE, OPERATE LOWER THAN ABOUT 1300 FT MSL, WHICH WOULD BE APPROX 1000 FT AGL. SOMEONE MAY HAVE OPERATED A LITTLE LOWER AND I DIDN'T SEE THEM, BUT I PERSONALLY NEVER WENT BELOW 1300 FT AND DON'T RECALL SEEING ANYONE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN ME. I KNOW THIS IS A NOISE SENSITIVE AREA AND WE DISCUSSED THAT AT A RECENT MEETING BTWN NEWS MEDIA PLTS AND THE LCL LAW ENFORCEMENT PLTS JUST A FEW WKS AGO. WE TRY TO AVOID THIS AREA IN OUR GENERAL TRAVELS, BUT WHEN A SIGNIFICANT NEWS STORY SUCH AS THIS HAPPENS, WE HAVE TO COVER IT. WE ARE ALSO GOING TO OPERATE SAFELY, WITH GOOD COMS BTWN ACFT AND AT SAFE AND LEGAL ALTS. THAT IS WHAT EVERYONE AT THIS INCIDENT DID, IN MY OPINION, AND I DID NOT SEE OR HEAR ANY OF THE MEDIA ACFT OPERATE AT EXTREMELY LOW ALTS.

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.