Narrative:

Crew assigned flying over about 1 mi west of van nuys airport. The aircraft was sbound at 1300 ft MSL holding 90 KTS of airspeed. Aircraft lights illuminated included the anti-collision lights, position lights, and the strobe lights. The pilot was in radio contact with van nuys tower, 119.00. The controller warned of an aircraft in the area and stated the other aircraft, a helicopter, had aircraft X in sight. The crew of aircraft X did not have the other aircraft in sight and continued looking. Van nuys airport reported to aircraft X again. The aircraft was wbound and at 1300 ft. Both the first officer and the pilot could not see the aircraft and reported to van nuys that they were still looking for the aircraft. The pilot and first officer saw the aircraft at the same time and observed the aircraft to be about 50 yards away and closing very fast. All the aircrew could see was the aircraft shadow and a green position light. Aircraft X and the aircraft were at the same altitude. The pilot of aircraft X abruptly turned the aircraft left to avoid a collision. Both the pilot and the first officer agreed if the turn had not been made, a collision would have occurred. The pilot also noted that the aircraft TCASII system was operational and warning properly. The pilot of the other aircraft stated on van nuys frequency that he thought aircraft X was in a r-hand orbit. Van nuys tower asked both pilots to call van nuys tower after landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NMAC OCCURRED BTWN 2 HELIS APPROX 1 MI W OF VAN NUYS ARPT TWR.

Narrative: CREW ASSIGNED FLYING OVER ABOUT 1 MI W OF VAN NUYS ARPT. THE ACFT WAS SBOUND AT 1300 FT MSL HOLDING 90 KTS OF AIRSPD. ACFT LIGHTS ILLUMINATED INCLUDED THE ANTI-COLLISION LIGHTS, POS LIGHTS, AND THE STROBE LIGHTS. THE PLT WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH VAN NUYS TWR, 119.00. THE CTLR WARNED OF AN ACFT IN THE AREA AND STATED THE OTHER ACFT, A HELI, HAD ACFT X IN SIGHT. THE CREW OF ACFT X DID NOT HAVE THE OTHER ACFT IN SIGHT AND CONTINUED LOOKING. VAN NUYS ARPT RPTED TO ACFT X AGAIN. THE ACFT WAS WBOUND AND AT 1300 FT. BOTH THE FO AND THE PLT COULD NOT SEE THE ACFT AND RPTED TO VAN NUYS THAT THEY WERE STILL LOOKING FOR THE ACFT. THE PLT AND FO SAW THE ACFT AT THE SAME TIME AND OBSERVED THE ACFT TO BE ABOUT 50 YARDS AWAY AND CLOSING VERY FAST. ALL THE AIRCREW COULD SEE WAS THE ACFT SHADOW AND A GREEN POS LIGHT. ACFT X AND THE ACFT WERE AT THE SAME ALT. THE PLT OF ACFT X ABRUPTLY TURNED THE ACFT L TO AVOID A COLLISION. BOTH THE PLT AND THE FO AGREED IF THE TURN HAD NOT BEEN MADE, A COLLISION WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. THE PLT ALSO NOTED THAT THE ACFT TCASII SYS WAS OPERATIONAL AND WARNING PROPERLY. THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT STATED ON VAN NUYS FREQ THAT HE THOUGHT ACFT X WAS IN A R-HAND ORBIT. VAN NUYS TWR ASKED BOTH PLTS TO CALL VAN NUYS TWR AFTER LNDG.

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.