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|
Attributes | |
ACN | 794217 |
Time | |
Date | 200806 |
Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | airport : mtc.airport |
State Reference | MI |
Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Operator | general aviation : personal |
Make Model Name | Helicopter |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
Flight Phase | cruise : enroute altitude change |
Flight Plan | VFR |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | other |
Function | flight crew : first officer |
Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 4000 |
ASRS Report | 794217 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | company : corporate |
Function | oversight : pic |
Events | |
Anomaly | conflict : airborne critical non adherence : far |
Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
Resolutory Action | other |
Miss Distance | horizontal : 50 vertical : 40 |
Supplementary | |
Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
On the above date and time my partner and I were engaged in low level aerial photography of boats going to and from guu and harsens island area. This was during an event called jobbie nooner which draws thousands of boaters that park at the tip of harsens island at gull island which is approximately 40-50 yards in diameter. While in the area we noticed a white helicopter flying 15 ft to 20 ft directly over hundreds of parked boats. This helicopter was hovering so low that its rotor downwash was blowing towels off the back of parked boats. I attempted to contact this pilot on the helicopter air to air frequency to no avail. I then called ZZZ tower to report this reckless helicopter. The controller asked me to get close enough to get the tail number which we did while taking photos of it. We then flew away and resumed taking photos of the boats when this helicopter began following us approximately 50 ft directly behind us. I changed course and altitude numerous times the entire time. This unknown helicopter continued to follow directly behind us. While reporting this to ZZZ controller; he ordered me to fly directly at the control tower so that they could see this aircraft. Upon approaching the outer ring of class D airspace this helicopter pulled up directly next to our right rear quarter and then did a steep left bank turn directly over our rotor disc and did 180 degree turn avoiding the class D airspace. The controller advised us they had NORAC with that aircraft nor did they know who it was. Further that they were contacting the FAA and reporting this and that they wanted me to do the same. My partner is also a commercial helicopter pilot and photographer. Both of us were in fear of our lives due to the close proximity of this helicopter recklessly following us without talking to us or ZZZ tower. Prior to this watching him hover directly 20 ft over hundreds of parked boats I could only think how many people would have died had he lost his engine. This pilot did not have any airspeed or altitude that would have allowed him to autorotate to the surface without killing innocent boaters! This pilot's blatant disregard for the safety of others further elevated fear in us when he began to chase us.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: HELICOPTER PILOT REPORTS ANOTHER HELICOPTER BEING FLOWN IN A RECKLESS MANNER; ENDANGERING BOTH HIM AND PEOPLE ON THE GROUND.
Narrative: ON THE ABOVE DATE AND TIME MY PARTNER AND I WERE ENGAGED IN LOW LEVEL AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY OF BOATS GOING TO AND FROM GUU AND HARSENS ISLAND AREA. THIS WAS DURING AN EVENT CALLED JOBBIE NOONER WHICH DRAWS THOUSANDS OF BOATERS THAT PARK AT THE TIP OF HARSENS ISLAND AT GULL ISLAND WHICH IS APPROX 40-50 YARDS IN DIAMETER. WHILE IN THE AREA WE NOTICED A WHITE HELI FLYING 15 FT TO 20 FT DIRECTLY OVER HUNDREDS OF PARKED BOATS. THIS HELI WAS HOVERING SO LOW THAT ITS ROTOR DOWNWASH WAS BLOWING TOWELS OFF THE BACK OF PARKED BOATS. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THIS PLT ON THE HELI AIR TO AIR FREQ TO NO AVAIL. I THEN CALLED ZZZ TWR TO RPT THIS RECKLESS HELI. THE CTLR ASKED ME TO GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO GET THE TAIL NUMBER WHICH WE DID WHILE TAKING PHOTOS OF IT. WE THEN FLEW AWAY AND RESUMED TAKING PHOTOS OF THE BOATS WHEN THIS HELI BEGAN FOLLOWING US APPROX 50 FT DIRECTLY BEHIND US. I CHANGED COURSE AND ALT NUMEROUS TIMES THE ENTIRE TIME. THIS UNKNOWN HELI CONTINUED TO FOLLOW DIRECTLY BEHIND US. WHILE RPTING THIS TO ZZZ CTLR; HE ORDERED ME TO FLY DIRECTLY AT THE CTL TWR SO THAT THEY COULD SEE THIS ACFT. UPON APCHING THE OUTER RING OF CLASS D AIRSPACE THIS HELI PULLED UP DIRECTLY NEXT TO OUR R REAR QUARTER AND THEN DID A STEEP L BANK TURN DIRECTLY OVER OUR ROTOR DISC AND DID 180 DEG TURN AVOIDING THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. THE CTLR ADVISED US THEY HAD NORAC WITH THAT ACFT NOR DID THEY KNOW WHO IT WAS. FURTHER THAT THEY WERE CONTACTING THE FAA AND RPTING THIS AND THAT THEY WANTED ME TO DO THE SAME. MY PARTNER IS ALSO A COMMERCIAL HELI PLT AND PHOTOGRAPHER. BOTH OF US WERE IN FEAR OF OUR LIVES DUE TO THE CLOSE PROX OF THIS HELI RECKLESSLY FOLLOWING US WITHOUT TALKING TO US OR ZZZ TWR. PRIOR TO THIS WATCHING HIM HOVER DIRECTLY 20 FT OVER HUNDREDS OF PARKED BOATS I COULD ONLY THINK HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD HAVE DIED HAD HE LOST HIS ENG. THIS PLT DID NOT HAVE ANY AIRSPD OR ALT THAT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED HIM TO AUTOROTATE TO THE SURFACE WITHOUT KILLING INNOCENT BOATERS! THIS PLT'S BLATANT DISREGARD FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS FURTHER ELEVATED FEAR IN US WHEN HE BEGAN TO CHASE US.
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.