Narrative:

I was flying a bell jet ranger helicopter taking video images in downtown. We flew about 1.4 hours total. At some point; we began to experience breakup of our video signal and the cameraman was concerned that some electrical equipment on board was the culprit and the breakup may also be on the tape. I began to cycle offirst officern various switches to attempt to identify the problem. At some point in the process; I cycled the navigation lights and apparently the rotating beacon; or at least I thought I cycled them but; for some unexplained reason; I did not turn them back to the 'on' position. As I was flying in the vicinity of the river; I heard an EMS helicopter attempt to contact tower from the roof of the hospital. Unable to reach the tower; they departed and contacted the tower airborne. At that point; I was about 900 ft and began to look for that aircraft and it was shortly thereafter that the EMS aircraft notified tower that they had just had an near midair collision with a helicopter with the navigation lights turned off. The tower called me and I confirmed; much to my surprise; that the navigation lights were indeed 'off.' I have flown in the area for the past 25 yrs and the controllers at ZZZ are among the best. The controller working me had been calling traffic to me all evening; but since things are extremely busy at ZZZ around XA00; the controller did not provide separation between myself and the EMS aircraft. I had heard the EMS aircraft call departing; so I knew he was coming and was looking for him; though I did not see him until he had passed me; but he did not know I was there; which added to the potential danger. After close to 40 yrs and 9000+ hours; I am yet again reminded that pilots need to remember to fly the aircraft first and foremost. This flight had been fraught with distrs throughout the evening; video problems as mentioned and operations within a tfr to identify too. No excuse -- pilots must be constantly vigilant to the potential danger of not recognizing how these distrs can lead to inattn of the job at hand; flying the aircraft; and further lead to potential disaster. We were very; very lucky last night and I deeply regret having played the key role in this episode.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BELL 206; WITH NAV LIGHTS OFF; WAS INVOLVED IN NMAC DURING NIGHT FLT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A BELL JET RANGER HELI TAKING VIDEO IMAGES IN DOWNTOWN. WE FLEW ABOUT 1.4 HRS TOTAL. AT SOME POINT; WE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE BREAKUP OF OUR VIDEO SIGNAL AND THE CAMERAMAN WAS CONCERNED THAT SOME ELECTRICAL EQUIP ON BOARD WAS THE CULPRIT AND THE BREAKUP MAY ALSO BE ON THE TAPE. I BEGAN TO CYCLE OFF/ON VARIOUS SWITCHES TO ATTEMPT TO IDENT THE PROB. AT SOME POINT IN THE PROCESS; I CYCLED THE NAV LIGHTS AND APPARENTLY THE ROTATING BEACON; OR AT LEAST I THOUGHT I CYCLED THEM BUT; FOR SOME UNEXPLAINED REASON; I DID NOT TURN THEM BACK TO THE 'ON' POS. AS I WAS FLYING IN THE VICINITY OF THE RIVER; I HEARD AN EMS HELI ATTEMPT TO CONTACT TWR FROM THE ROOF OF THE HOSPITAL. UNABLE TO REACH THE TWR; THEY DEPARTED AND CONTACTED THE TWR AIRBORNE. AT THAT POINT; I WAS ABOUT 900 FT AND BEGAN TO LOOK FOR THAT ACFT AND IT WAS SHORTLY THEREAFTER THAT THE EMS ACFT NOTIFIED TWR THAT THEY HAD JUST HAD AN NMAC WITH A HELI WITH THE NAV LIGHTS TURNED OFF. THE TWR CALLED ME AND I CONFIRMED; MUCH TO MY SURPRISE; THAT THE NAV LIGHTS WERE INDEED 'OFF.' I HAVE FLOWN IN THE AREA FOR THE PAST 25 YRS AND THE CTLRS AT ZZZ ARE AMONG THE BEST. THE CTLR WORKING ME HAD BEEN CALLING TFC TO ME ALL EVENING; BUT SINCE THINGS ARE EXTREMELY BUSY AT ZZZ AROUND XA00; THE CTLR DID NOT PROVIDE SEPARATION BTWN MYSELF AND THE EMS ACFT. I HAD HEARD THE EMS ACFT CALL DEPARTING; SO I KNEW HE WAS COMING AND WAS LOOKING FOR HIM; THOUGH I DID NOT SEE HIM UNTIL HE HAD PASSED ME; BUT HE DID NOT KNOW I WAS THERE; WHICH ADDED TO THE POTENTIAL DANGER. AFTER CLOSE TO 40 YRS AND 9000+ HRS; I AM YET AGAIN REMINDED THAT PLTS NEED TO REMEMBER TO FLY THE ACFT FIRST AND FOREMOST. THIS FLT HAD BEEN FRAUGHT WITH DISTRS THROUGHOUT THE EVENING; VIDEO PROBS AS MENTIONED AND OPS WITHIN A TFR TO IDENT TOO. NO EXCUSE -- PLTS MUST BE CONSTANTLY VIGILANT TO THE POTENTIAL DANGER OF NOT RECOGNIZING HOW THESE DISTRS CAN LEAD TO INATTN OF THE JOB AT HAND; FLYING THE ACFT; AND FURTHER LEAD TO POTENTIAL DISASTER. WE WERE VERY; VERY LUCKY LAST NIGHT AND I DEEPLY REGRET HAVING PLAYED THE KEY ROLE IN THIS EPISODE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.