Narrative:

During sporting event on 1/sun/88 I was flying a ca highway patrol helicopter on traffic mgt and motorcade escort details in the vicinity of jack murphy stadium in san diego, ca. The stadium is within the boundaries of the montgomery air traffic area. We were operating in the area from XA00 hours until approximately XB00 hours. In the 10 yrs I have been flying helicopter's, both military and civilian, I have not seen so many widely varied types of aircraft flying in such close proximity to one another. Aircraft operating immediately adjacent to the stadium included: 3 blimps, at least 4 banner tows, 4 media helicopter's and occasionally when necessity dictated, law enforcement helicopter's (chp, sheriff, fbi). No provision was made by ATC for law enforcement helicopter's such as ours to manage the equally chaotic traffic conditions on the local freeways. Due to the nature of our duties (traffic mgt ad motorcade escort), it was necessary to request and receive authorization from ATC (montgomery tower and stadium control) to deviate from published routes & altitudes around the stadium & and air traffic area on several occasions throughout the day. While escorting a team bus motorcade to the stadium, at the request of san diego pd, I was operating the helicopter right on the stadium parking lot boundaries. I had been clrd into the area by stadium control at 500' AGL. It could have appeared to someone on the ground, depending on their location, that I was flying lower than 500' or that I was over the stadium or parking lot. My attention was constantly divided by the extremely heavy concentration of air traffic at all altitudes in the vicinity of the stadium. I cannot say for sure if I did or did not get below 500' or allow my flight path to cross the stadium parking lot boundaries. Additionally, it is not known at this time if a representative of our department was a signator to a letter of agreement with montgomery tower to operate in the vicinity of the stadium during the sporting event. During the day, I am sure that several slip-ups were made by pilots operating in the area. I thought I had better relate this story to you in case one of these slip-ups could have been mine. The airspace around the stadium was far too saturated to be safe. Pilots could not even get in on the radio to make all of the necessary calls to ATC. ATC did not create an accident free environment. Pilots seeing and avoiding did. A final recommendation for consideration by ATC would be to make allowances in their operational plans for events such as sporting events to better enable law enforcement agencies to operate their aircraft in the area. We are not part of the 'dash for cash.' we are there only for the safety and well being of the general public.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GOV HELICOPTER LOW FLT OVER CONGESTED AREA.

Narrative: DURING SPORTING EVENT ON 1/SUN/88 I WAS FLYING A CA HWY PATROL HELI ON TFC MGT AND MOTORCADE ESCORT DETAILS IN THE VICINITY OF JACK MURPHY STADIUM IN SAN DIEGO, CA. THE STADIUM IS WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE MONTGOMERY ATA. WE WERE OPERATING IN THE AREA FROM XA00 HRS UNTIL APPROX XB00 HRS. IN THE 10 YRS I HAVE BEEN FLYING HELI'S, BOTH MIL AND CIVILIAN, I HAVE NOT SEEN SO MANY WIDELY VARIED TYPES OF ACFT FLYING IN SUCH CLOSE PROX TO ONE ANOTHER. ACFT OPERATING IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE STADIUM INCLUDED: 3 BLIMPS, AT LEAST 4 BANNER TOWS, 4 MEDIA HELI'S AND OCCASIONALLY WHEN NECESSITY DICTATED, LAW ENFORCEMENT HELI'S (CHP, SHERIFF, FBI). NO PROVISION WAS MADE BY ATC FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT HELI'S SUCH AS OURS TO MANAGE THE EQUALLY CHAOTIC TFC CONDITIONS ON THE LCL FREEWAYS. DUE TO THE NATURE OF OUR DUTIES (TFC MGT AD MOTORCADE ESCORT), IT WAS NECESSARY TO REQUEST AND RECEIVE AUTHORIZATION FROM ATC (MONTGOMERY TWR AND STADIUM CTL) TO DEVIATE FROM PUBLISHED ROUTES & ALTS AROUND THE STADIUM & AND ATA ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. WHILE ESCORTING A TEAM BUS MOTORCADE TO THE STADIUM, AT THE REQUEST OF SAN DIEGO PD, I WAS OPERATING THE HELI RIGHT ON THE STADIUM PARKING LOT BOUNDARIES. I HAD BEEN CLRD INTO THE AREA BY STADIUM CTL AT 500' AGL. IT COULD HAVE APPEARED TO SOMEONE ON THE GND, DEPENDING ON THEIR LOCATION, THAT I WAS FLYING LOWER THAN 500' OR THAT I WAS OVER THE STADIUM OR PARKING LOT. MY ATTN WAS CONSTANTLY DIVIDED BY THE EXTREMELY HEAVY CONCENTRATION OF AIR TFC AT ALL ALTS IN THE VICINITY OF THE STADIUM. I CANNOT SAY FOR SURE IF I DID OR DID NOT GET BELOW 500' OR ALLOW MY FLT PATH TO CROSS THE STADIUM PARKING LOT BOUNDARIES. ADDITIONALLY, IT IS NOT KNOWN AT THIS TIME IF A REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR DEPT WAS A SIGNATOR TO A LETTER OF AGREEMENT WITH MONTGOMERY TWR TO OPERATE IN THE VICINITY OF THE STADIUM DURING THE SPORTING EVENT. DURING THE DAY, I AM SURE THAT SEVERAL SLIP-UPS WERE MADE BY PLTS OPERATING IN THE AREA. I THOUGHT I HAD BETTER RELATE THIS STORY TO YOU IN CASE ONE OF THESE SLIP-UPS COULD HAVE BEEN MINE. THE AIRSPACE AROUND THE STADIUM WAS FAR TOO SATURATED TO BE SAFE. PLTS COULD NOT EVEN GET IN ON THE RADIO TO MAKE ALL OF THE NECESSARY CALLS TO ATC. ATC DID NOT CREATE AN ACCIDENT FREE ENVIRONMENT. PLTS SEEING AND AVOIDING DID. A FINAL RECOMMENDATION FOR CONSIDERATION BY ATC WOULD BE TO MAKE ALLOWANCES IN THEIR OPERATIONAL PLANS FOR EVENTS SUCH AS SPORTING EVENTS TO BETTER ENABLE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO OPERATE THEIR ACFT IN THE AREA. WE ARE NOT PART OF THE 'DASH FOR CASH.' WE ARE THERE ONLY FOR THE SAFETY AND WELL BEING OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.