Narrative:

Departed opf in flight of 2 helicopters. We were in formation and I was second and at the 5 O'clock position to helicopter #1. We departed due east and planned to fly in formation 90 degrees to coastline and turn south en route. I was on tower frequency and heard another helicopter report to tower he was following us outbound. Approximately 3 mi from beach and 12 mi from opf field; I noticed without warning a black hughes 500 come from nowhere and was over me and to my right closing in. He was filming video. He busted our formation without warning and I descended to avoid a dangerous condition. I couldn't see his whereabouts and we were not communicating at time on radio. I wound up approximately 350 ft AGL over beach area; miami. There was no accident and no one to my knowledge complained. He then left area. I regained altitude. Supplemental information from acn 739409: I was lead helicopter of a flight of 2 robinson R44's which departed opf on a training flight. We departed due east with a planned turn south offshore. We planned to follow the shoreline south to mth. Prior to reaching the shoreline; a third helicopter (hughes 500) broke our formation to video our flight. The third helicopter flew within 100 ft; behind; beside and above our formation. This conflicted with our formation causing one R44 to descend to 300 ft over beaches to avoid collision hazard. Although the third helicopter was in radio contact; he was not briefed prior to the flight. He seemed more interested in obtaining good video than flight safety. All pilots must understand rules of formation flying and receive flight briefings as well as an invitation prior to flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FORMATION FLT OF TWO HELICOPTERS IS INTERCEPTED BY A THIRD TAKING VIDEO. RESULTING PROXIMITY CAUSES ONE OF FORMATION TO DESCEND TO 300 AGL OVER POPULATED BEACHES.

Narrative: DEPARTED OPF IN FLT OF 2 HELIS. WE WERE IN FORMATION AND I WAS SECOND AND AT THE 5 O'CLOCK POS TO HELI #1. WE DEPARTED DUE E AND PLANNED TO FLY IN FORMATION 90 DEGS TO COASTLINE AND TURN S ENRTE. I WAS ON TWR FREQ AND HEARD ANOTHER HELI RPT TO TWR HE WAS FOLLOWING US OUTBOUND. APPROX 3 MI FROM BEACH AND 12 MI FROM OPF FIELD; I NOTICED WITHOUT WARNING A BLACK HUGHES 500 COME FROM NOWHERE AND WAS OVER ME AND TO MY R CLOSING IN. HE WAS FILMING VIDEO. HE BUSTED OUR FORMATION WITHOUT WARNING AND I DSNDED TO AVOID A DANGEROUS CONDITION. I COULDN'T SEE HIS WHEREABOUTS AND WE WERE NOT COMMUNICATING AT TIME ON RADIO. I WOUND UP APPROX 350 FT AGL OVER BEACH AREA; MIAMI. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT AND NO ONE TO MY KNOWLEDGE COMPLAINED. HE THEN LEFT AREA. I REGAINED ALT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 739409: I WAS LEAD HELI OF A FLT OF 2 ROBINSON R44'S WHICH DEPARTED OPF ON A TRAINING FLT. WE DEPARTED DUE E WITH A PLANNED TURN S OFFSHORE. WE PLANNED TO FOLLOW THE SHORELINE S TO MTH. PRIOR TO REACHING THE SHORELINE; A THIRD HELI (HUGHES 500) BROKE OUR FORMATION TO VIDEO OUR FLT. THE THIRD HELI FLEW WITHIN 100 FT; BEHIND; BESIDE AND ABOVE OUR FORMATION. THIS CONFLICTED WITH OUR FORMATION CAUSING ONE R44 TO DSND TO 300 FT OVER BEACHES TO AVOID COLLISION HAZARD. ALTHOUGH THE THIRD HELI WAS IN RADIO CONTACT; HE WAS NOT BRIEFED PRIOR TO THE FLT. HE SEEMED MORE INTERESTED IN OBTAINING GOOD VIDEO THAN FLT SAFETY. ALL PLTS MUST UNDERSTAND RULES OF FORMATION FLYING AND RECEIVE FLT BRIEFINGS AS WELL AS AN INVITATION PRIOR TO FLT.

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.