Narrative:

In the evening I got a call from tv requesting an air trip to the west branch area where there was a big fire for the purpose of getting video shots of same for the evening news. As agreed on a departure from clements airport in bay city, I took off with a camera man for channel X tv. On the way up I checked saginaw tower, ATIS--sky clear, barometer--30.08, temperature in the 80's and no NOTAMS. We found the fire from the large smoke cloud we saw about 15 mi north of west branch. We flew around at about 2000' AGL and completed 1 circuit of the fire area. We saw 1 other plane there and assumed it was a spectator or another camera crew doing the same thing that we were. I dropped down to 600-800' AGL and commenced slow flight so that the camera would be as steady as possible. I had just about completed a second circuit of the area when a green and white plane, and small aircraft, passed about 100' on my left, at the same altitude, got ahead 200-300' and turned into my path of travel, forcing me to make a 180 degree right turn to avoid him. In about a minute he appeared off my right wing and turned into me again forcing me to turn left. I saw him clearly in the cockpit, so I waved my microphone at him trying to make contact on the radio, first on 122.75 and 122.8. I guess he had been trying to get my attention to the radio. He said he was a conservation officer: 'get the hell out of here, I have your number and I will report you.' I tried to explain my purpose of being there, but he repeated his demand, so I left immediately. The next morning I got a call from chief of photography at channel X tv asking me to go back to the area to get some more video of the fire. I explained my difficulties of the evening before so he called saginaw and lansing towers to see if there were any restrictions in the area. Assured that there were none I left again about xx am for the fire area. Again I checked ATIS--no NOTAMS. As I approached the area I called on the radio about 6 times for any conservation aircraft in the vicinity so I could explain my actions--no response. As I did the previous day I circled at 2000' AGL, then dropped down to about 600' AGL for closer shots of the burned out area. Again as I had just about finished the second circuit a plane appeared off my left, 300-400', beige and white. The plane was different, but no mistake that it was the same pilot. Again the order to get out of the area and again the threat to report me 'for sure.' I left immediately. This time the cameraman got some shots of the plane and audio off the radio. That afternoon I called mr. X at the FAA in grand rapids and explained the situation to him. He did not see me in violation of anything and referred me to a mr Y in marquette, mi. Chief pilot for the dnr who also expressed the same opinion if the facts were as stated. As of this writing I am not aware of any violation on my part. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter indicates no follow up or action by any agency against him. However, dnr chief is very disturbed about his officer's behavior in the matter and intends to follow up. There were no other planes in the area, no fire fighting aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NO REAL ANOMOLY OCCURRED EXCEPT A VERY UPSET CONSERVATION OFFICER.

Narrative: IN THE EVENING I GOT A CALL FROM TV REQUESTING AN AIR TRIP TO THE WEST BRANCH AREA WHERE THERE WAS A BIG FIRE FOR THE PURPOSE OF GETTING VIDEO SHOTS OF SAME FOR THE EVENING NEWS. AS AGREED ON A DEP FROM CLEMENTS ARPT IN BAY CITY, I TOOK OFF WITH A CAMERA MAN FOR CHANNEL X TV. ON THE WAY UP I CHKED SAGINAW TWR, ATIS--SKY CLR, BAROMETER--30.08, TEMP IN THE 80'S AND NO NOTAMS. WE FOUND THE FIRE FROM THE LARGE SMOKE CLOUD WE SAW ABOUT 15 MI N OF WEST BRANCH. WE FLEW AROUND AT ABOUT 2000' AGL AND COMPLETED 1 CIRCUIT OF THE FIRE AREA. WE SAW 1 OTHER PLANE THERE AND ASSUMED IT WAS A SPECTATOR OR ANOTHER CAMERA CREW DOING THE SAME THING THAT WE WERE. I DROPPED DOWN TO 600-800' AGL AND COMMENCED SLOW FLT SO THAT THE CAMERA WOULD BE AS STEADY AS POSSIBLE. I HAD JUST ABOUT COMPLETED A SECOND CIRCUIT OF THE AREA WHEN A GREEN AND WHITE PLANE, AND SMA, PASSED ABOUT 100' ON MY LEFT, AT THE SAME ALT, GOT AHEAD 200-300' AND TURNED INTO MY PATH OF TRAVEL, FORCING ME TO MAKE A 180 DEG RIGHT TURN TO AVOID HIM. IN ABOUT A MINUTE HE APPEARED OFF MY RIGHT WING AND TURNED INTO ME AGAIN FORCING ME TO TURN LEFT. I SAW HIM CLEARLY IN THE COCKPIT, SO I WAVED MY MIC AT HIM TRYING TO MAKE CONTACT ON THE RADIO, FIRST ON 122.75 AND 122.8. I GUESS HE HAD BEEN TRYING TO GET MY ATTN TO THE RADIO. HE SAID HE WAS A CONSERVATION OFFICER: 'GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, I HAVE YOUR NUMBER AND I WILL RPT YOU.' I TRIED TO EXPLAIN MY PURPOSE OF BEING THERE, BUT HE REPEATED HIS DEMAND, SO I LEFT IMMEDIATELY. THE NEXT MORNING I GOT A CALL FROM CHIEF OF PHOTOGRAPHY AT CHANNEL X TV ASKING ME TO GO BACK TO THE AREA TO GET SOME MORE VIDEO OF THE FIRE. I EXPLAINED MY DIFFICULTIES OF THE EVENING BEFORE SO HE CALLED SAGINAW AND LANSING TWRS TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY RESTRICTIONS IN THE AREA. ASSURED THAT THERE WERE NONE I LEFT AGAIN ABOUT XX AM FOR THE FIRE AREA. AGAIN I CHKED ATIS--NO NOTAMS. AS I APCHED THE AREA I CALLED ON THE RADIO ABOUT 6 TIMES FOR ANY CONSERVATION ACFT IN THE VICINITY SO I COULD EXPLAIN MY ACTIONS--NO RESPONSE. AS I DID THE PREVIOUS DAY I CIRCLED AT 2000' AGL, THEN DROPPED DOWN TO ABOUT 600' AGL FOR CLOSER SHOTS OF THE BURNED OUT AREA. AGAIN AS I HAD JUST ABOUT FINISHED THE SECOND CIRCUIT A PLANE APPEARED OFF MY LEFT, 300-400', BEIGE AND WHITE. THE PLANE WAS DIFFERENT, BUT NO MISTAKE THAT IT WAS THE SAME PLT. AGAIN THE ORDER TO GET OUT OF THE AREA AND AGAIN THE THREAT TO RPT ME 'FOR SURE.' I LEFT IMMEDIATELY. THIS TIME THE CAMERAMAN GOT SOME SHOTS OF THE PLANE AND AUDIO OFF THE RADIO. THAT AFTERNOON I CALLED MR. X AT THE FAA IN GRAND RAPIDS AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO HIM. HE DID NOT SEE ME IN VIOLATION OF ANYTHING AND REFERRED ME TO A MR Y IN MARQUETTE, MI. CHIEF PLT FOR THE DNR WHO ALSO EXPRESSED THE SAME OPINION IF THE FACTS WERE AS STATED. AS OF THIS WRITING I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY VIOLATION ON MY PART. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR INDICATES NO FOLLOW UP OR ACTION BY ANY AGENCY AGAINST HIM. HOWEVER, DNR CHIEF IS VERY DISTURBED ABOUT HIS OFFICER'S BEHAVIOR IN THE MATTER AND INTENDS TO FOLLOW UP. THERE WERE NO OTHER PLANES IN THE AREA, NO FIRE FIGHTING ACFT.

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.