Narrative:

We launched and headed north. We transited class B airspace and continued north. The observer wanted to go up the parkway. Once we were communicating with ZZZ tower they began pointing out a helicopter behind us overtaking us. The controller asked us if we had them in sight. I replied; 'no; where are they?' he told us 'behind at about 4 O'clock position.' this is in my blind spot since I am flying from the right seat. The controller asked the helicopter if they had us in sight and he replied on TCAS. Then shortly thereafter he told ZZZ tower he had us in sight. Shortly thereafter; they appeared out from under our right wing. They were just slightly higher and being shielded by the wing. The sudden appearance of a large helicopter startled me and the observer. They quickly pulled in front of us and passed across our nose and then went up towards the northwest. I told the controller I want to report a near miss. He started turning the close call into my fault. Saying I had left right X; a helicopter route. We are not a helicopter. He asked the helicopter how close they were and if they had us in sight the entire time. The controller then asks me again if I wanted to file the report. I quickly figured out what was happening and dropped the request for a report. I broadcast over the radio that next time they should give us more room in the future. We continued our flight and they continued theirs. All of this could have been avoided if they had passed behind us instead of in front.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 TFC WATCH PLT HAS A TFC CONFLICT WITH A MIL HELI.

Narrative: WE LAUNCHED AND HEADED N. WE TRANSITED CLASS B AIRSPACE AND CONTINUED N. THE OBSERVER WANTED TO GO UP THE PARKWAY. ONCE WE WERE COMMUNICATING WITH ZZZ TWR THEY BEGAN POINTING OUT A HELI BEHIND US OVERTAKING US. THE CTLR ASKED US IF WE HAD THEM IN SIGHT. I REPLIED; 'NO; WHERE ARE THEY?' HE TOLD US 'BEHIND AT ABOUT 4 O'CLOCK POS.' THIS IS IN MY BLIND SPOT SINCE I AM FLYING FROM THE R SEAT. THE CTLR ASKED THE HELI IF THEY HAD US IN SIGHT AND HE REPLIED ON TCAS. THEN SHORTLY THEREAFTER HE TOLD ZZZ TWR HE HAD US IN SIGHT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THEY APPEARED OUT FROM UNDER OUR R WING. THEY WERE JUST SLIGHTLY HIGHER AND BEING SHIELDED BY THE WING. THE SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF A LARGE HELI STARTLED ME AND THE OBSERVER. THEY QUICKLY PULLED IN FRONT OF US AND PASSED ACROSS OUR NOSE AND THEN WENT UP TOWARDS THE NW. I TOLD THE CTLR I WANT TO RPT A NEAR MISS. HE STARTED TURNING THE CLOSE CALL INTO MY FAULT. SAYING I HAD LEFT R X; A HELI RTE. WE ARE NOT A HELI. HE ASKED THE HELI HOW CLOSE THEY WERE AND IF THEY HAD US IN SIGHT THE ENTIRE TIME. THE CTLR THEN ASKS ME AGAIN IF I WANTED TO FILE THE RPT. I QUICKLY FIGURED OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND DROPPED THE REQUEST FOR A RPT. I BROADCAST OVER THE RADIO THAT NEXT TIME THEY SHOULD GIVE US MORE ROOM IN THE FUTURE. WE CONTINUED OUR FLT AND THEY CONTINUED THEIRS. ALL OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THEY HAD PASSED BEHIND US INSTEAD OF IN FRONT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.