Narrative:

As PIC of my sabre trike (an ultralight vehicle); after departing the pattern I climbed to 2000 ft on a southwest heading to avoid the south end of the city of palm bay. When I reached 2000 ft; being clear of palm bay; I begin an immediate descent to 500 ft over the farm fields south and west of palm bay. The west side of palm bay is undeveloped except for a system of abandoned roads. I arrived at the area of roads used by pwred parachute community. Seeing no one; I chose to land to confirm that my fuel level was where I assumed it was before heading further west into the undeveloped saint johns river headwaters. I land and take off in 100 ft at 20 mph so the road landing was not dangerous this calm; clear day. After confirming my fuel; I took off and headed northwest at 500 AGL. I retraced my path to return to the airport. When I reached the abandoned road network; I began climbing to attain a safe ht to pass over the uncongested south end of palm bay. Ascending through 800 ft over the road network; I saw a helicopter approaching at my altitude from my left. Helicopters are dangerous to ultralights because they trail a curtain of invisible turbulence that could buckle my 80 pound; 34 ft wing span of sail cloth. I didn't like that it came within 500 ft of me; so I turned away from it. It then ascended to about 100-150 ft above my altitude and crossed in front of me. I maneuvered to avoid the invisible; roiling turbulence it laid across my path. By now I was at 1000 ft and approaching the edge of the single family homes of palm bay. The helicopter started to orbit me; staying 500 ft from me and 100-150 ft above me as I headed east at my cruise speed of 35 'mpf.' I had no way to escape the spiral of turbulence this 1 ton machine was laying on my path; but down. So I dove for the ground as fast as I could. Luckily there was dirt scraped clear for additional development of palm bay and I immediately landed within a block of homes amid rocks the size of my fist. I sure didn't belong there; but I was where the helicopter pilot could not kill me; merely FLIP me over. Sure enough; here he came. Why can't this guy leave me alone? By frantic 'clear away' arm gesturing he stopped his approach and landed 500 ft from me. An officer approached and said they had a report of an ultralight down and had I seen it. I was hopping mad at this irresponsible plting and lit into him for trying to kill me. Maintaining his professionalism; he explained that he was not pilot. The pilot approached and I lit into him for trying to kill me. He; while also maintaining his professionalism; dug his heels in and rejected my safety concerns; denied them in fact; and insisted the issue at hand was the location of the downed ultralight. The pilot had said; 'you know; I never thought about my helicopter's downwash. I'll keep it very much in mind in the future.' I wouldn't be writing you; but he dismissed my heated lesson. He stuck to my failure to respond to his blinked position lights; the signal to land. He needed me to land in order to determine if I was the crashed ultralight pilot. I have no problem with the police needing me to cooperate. But that needs to be communicated before I can respond. Position lights were developed to show an aircraft at night when the aircraft would otherwise be invisible in the dark sky. Position lights are not needed during the day because the aircraft itself is visible. Yes; he can want me down for any reason -- he is the police. But he has to communicate that better than the established useless daylight procedure of blinking his position lights in the florida sunshine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF ULTRALIGHT IS INTERCEPTED BY A POLICE HELI AND FORCED TO LAND TO INVESTIGATE A RPTED ULTRALIGHT CRASH. ULTRALIGHT PLT ALLEGES HELI PLT OPERATED IN A HAZARDOUS MANNER RELATIVE TO HIS FRAGILE VEHICLE.

Narrative: AS PIC OF MY SABRE TRIKE (AN ULTRALIGHT VEHICLE); AFTER DEPARTING THE PATTERN I CLBED TO 2000 FT ON A SW HDG TO AVOID THE S END OF THE CITY OF PALM BAY. WHEN I REACHED 2000 FT; BEING CLR OF PALM BAY; I BEGIN AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO 500 FT OVER THE FARM FIELDS S AND W OF PALM BAY. THE W SIDE OF PALM BAY IS UNDEVELOPED EXCEPT FOR A SYS OF ABANDONED ROADS. I ARRIVED AT THE AREA OF ROADS USED BY PWRED PARACHUTE COMMUNITY. SEEING NO ONE; I CHOSE TO LAND TO CONFIRM THAT MY FUEL LEVEL WAS WHERE I ASSUMED IT WAS BEFORE HDG FURTHER W INTO THE UNDEVELOPED SAINT JOHNS RIVER HEADWATERS. I LAND AND TAKE OFF IN 100 FT AT 20 MPH SO THE ROAD LNDG WAS NOT DANGEROUS THIS CALM; CLR DAY. AFTER CONFIRMING MY FUEL; I TOOK OFF AND HEADED NW AT 500 AGL. I RETRACED MY PATH TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. WHEN I REACHED THE ABANDONED ROAD NETWORK; I BEGAN CLBING TO ATTAIN A SAFE HT TO PASS OVER THE UNCONGESTED S END OF PALM BAY. ASCENDING THROUGH 800 FT OVER THE ROAD NETWORK; I SAW A HELI APCHING AT MY ALT FROM MY L. HELIS ARE DANGEROUS TO ULTRALIGHTS BECAUSE THEY TRAIL A CURTAIN OF INVISIBLE TURB THAT COULD BUCKLE MY 80 LB; 34 FT WING SPAN OF SAIL CLOTH. I DIDN'T LIKE THAT IT CAME WITHIN 500 FT OF ME; SO I TURNED AWAY FROM IT. IT THEN ASCENDED TO ABOUT 100-150 FT ABOVE MY ALT AND CROSSED IN FRONT OF ME. I MANEUVERED TO AVOID THE INVISIBLE; ROILING TURB IT LAID ACROSS MY PATH. BY NOW I WAS AT 1000 FT AND APCHING THE EDGE OF THE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES OF PALM BAY. THE HELI STARTED TO ORBIT ME; STAYING 500 FT FROM ME AND 100-150 FT ABOVE ME AS I HEADED E AT MY CRUISE SPD OF 35 'MPF.' I HAD NO WAY TO ESCAPE THE SPIRAL OF TURB THIS 1 TON MACHINE WAS LAYING ON MY PATH; BUT DOWN. SO I DOVE FOR THE GND AS FAST AS I COULD. LUCKILY THERE WAS DIRT SCRAPED CLR FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF PALM BAY AND I IMMEDIATELY LANDED WITHIN A BLOCK OF HOMES AMID ROCKS THE SIZE OF MY FIST. I SURE DIDN'T BELONG THERE; BUT I WAS WHERE THE HELI PLT COULD NOT KILL ME; MERELY FLIP ME OVER. SURE ENOUGH; HERE HE CAME. WHY CAN'T THIS GUY LEAVE ME ALONE? BY FRANTIC 'CLR AWAY' ARM GESTURING HE STOPPED HIS APCH AND LANDED 500 FT FROM ME. AN OFFICER APCHED AND SAID THEY HAD A RPT OF AN ULTRALIGHT DOWN AND HAD I SEEN IT. I WAS HOPPING MAD AT THIS IRRESPONSIBLE PLTING AND LIT INTO HIM FOR TRYING TO KILL ME. MAINTAINING HIS PROFESSIONALISM; HE EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS NOT PLT. THE PLT APPROACHED AND I LIT INTO HIM FOR TRYING TO KILL ME. HE; WHILE ALSO MAINTAINING HIS PROFESSIONALISM; DUG HIS HEELS IN AND REJECTED MY SAFETY CONCERNS; DENIED THEM IN FACT; AND INSISTED THE ISSUE AT HAND WAS THE LOCATION OF THE DOWNED ULTRALIGHT. THE PLT HAD SAID; 'YOU KNOW; I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT MY HELI'S DOWNWASH. I'LL KEEP IT VERY MUCH IN MIND IN THE FUTURE.' I WOULDN'T BE WRITING YOU; BUT HE DISMISSED MY HEATED LESSON. HE STUCK TO MY FAILURE TO RESPOND TO HIS BLINKED POS LIGHTS; THE SIGNAL TO LAND. HE NEEDED ME TO LAND IN ORDER TO DETERMINE IF I WAS THE CRASHED ULTRALIGHT PLT. I HAVE NO PROB WITH THE POLICE NEEDING ME TO COOPERATE. BUT THAT NEEDS TO BE COMMUNICATED BEFORE I CAN RESPOND. POS LIGHTS WERE DEVELOPED TO SHOW AN ACFT AT NIGHT WHEN THE ACFT WOULD OTHERWISE BE INVISIBLE IN THE DARK SKY. POS LIGHTS ARE NOT NEEDED DURING THE DAY BECAUSE THE ACFT ITSELF IS VISIBLE. YES; HE CAN WANT ME DOWN FOR ANY REASON -- HE IS THE POLICE. BUT HE HAS TO COMMUNICATE THAT BETTER THAN THE ESTABLISHED USELESS DAYLIGHT PROC OF BLINKING HIS POS LIGHTS IN THE FLORIDA SUNSHINE.

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.