Narrative:

After clearing a ridgeline at approximately 3500' MSL, 900' AGL, approximately 14 NM north, small aircraft X began a descent in order to cross ZZZ at 1500' enroute to medical center. Shortly after beginning the descent I saw an small aircraft Y cruising or possibly in a shallow climb just below and to my right. I began an immediate climb and as I knew he would pass underneath me by approximately 400'. I made a right turning climb to keep him in sight. I could not tell for sure if he saw me and made any corrective actions. One contributing factor in my not seeing him sooner was that he was lower than me with a background of bright lights off of the city areas underneath. I believe that small aircraft Y was flying at that altitude and course in order to avoid the new arsa around ZZZ at the position of the problem we were outside of the arsa and I was just preparing to contact ZZZ. Although the arsa is intended to help these types of problems I believe it is actually creating problems, because of surrounding terrain, and the arsa's small size, pilots and trying to avoid it by flying lower altitudes around the edge of the arsa. I also think that pilots are avoiding the arsa because it is so understaffed with controllers that it is often difficult to get time on the radio to contact the arsa therefore it is easier to avoid it. From the point of view of a helicopter operator who has been flying professionally in this area for 11 yrs, I also find that arsa controllers and the arsa design does not take into account some previously useful procedures for helicopter operations, such as established lower altitude helicopter routes. Due to our slower speeds and certain safety of operations characteristics of helicopters we used to operate along certain hwys and other established corridors at and below 1000' all which allowed us to remain clear of most fixed wing traffic. Now when I have to pass through ZZZ I request those routes and lower altitudes, and I am instructed to climb to higher altitudes. Several times this has placed me in the path of larger, faster airplanes climbing out of ZZZ or spc flying patterns at xyz. To summarize I think that for the arsa to be effective it needs a lot more controllers on duty, there should be some consideration to previously established procedures and controllers should receive more training as to what some of the small aircraft helicapabilities and limitations are.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELICOPTER X AND ACFT Y HAVE NMAC BELOW ARSA AND OUTSIDE CTL ZONE. REPORTER BELIEVES GENERAL DESIRE OF MANY PLTS TO AVOID ARSA BY FLYING AT LOW ALT LED TO TRAFFIC CONFLICT.

Narrative: AFTER CLRING A RIDGELINE AT APPROX 3500' MSL, 900' AGL, APPROX 14 NM N, SMA X BEGAN A DSCNT IN ORDER TO CROSS ZZZ AT 1500' ENROUTE TO MEDICAL CENTER. SHORTLY AFTER BEGINNING THE DSCNT I SAW AN SMA Y CRUISING OR POSSIBLY IN A SHALLOW CLB JUST BELOW AND TO MY RIGHT. I BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE CLB AND AS I KNEW HE WOULD PASS UNDERNEATH ME BY APPROX 400'. I MADE A RIGHT TURNING CLB TO KEEP HIM IN SIGHT. I COULD NOT TELL FOR SURE IF HE SAW ME AND MADE ANY CORRECTIVE ACTIONS. ONE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN MY NOT SEEING HIM SOONER WAS THAT HE WAS LOWER THAN ME WITH A BACKGROUND OF BRIGHT LIGHTS OFF OF THE CITY AREAS UNDERNEATH. I BELIEVE THAT SMA Y WAS FLYING AT THAT ALT AND COURSE IN ORDER TO AVOID THE NEW ARSA AROUND ZZZ AT THE POS OF THE PROB WE WERE OUTSIDE OF THE ARSA AND I WAS JUST PREPARING TO CONTACT ZZZ. ALTHOUGH THE ARSA IS INTENDED TO HELP THESE TYPES OF PROBS I BELIEVE IT IS ACTUALLY CREATING PROBS, BECAUSE OF SURROUNDING TERRAIN, AND THE ARSA'S SMALL SIZE, PLTS AND TRYING TO AVOID IT BY FLYING LOWER ALTS AROUND THE EDGE OF THE ARSA. I ALSO THINK THAT PLTS ARE AVOIDING THE ARSA BECAUSE IT IS SO UNDERSTAFFED WITH CTLRS THAT IT IS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO GET TIME ON THE RADIO TO CONTACT THE ARSA THEREFORE IT IS EASIER TO AVOID IT. FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A HELI OPERATOR WHO HAS BEEN FLYING PROFESSIONALLY IN THIS AREA FOR 11 YRS, I ALSO FIND THAT ARSA CTLRS AND THE ARSA DESIGN DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT SOME PREVIOUSLY USEFUL PROCS FOR HELI OPS, SUCH AS ESTABLISHED LOWER ALT HELI ROUTES. DUE TO OUR SLOWER SPDS AND CERTAIN SAFETY OF OPS CHARACTERISTICS OF HELIS WE USED TO OPERATE ALONG CERTAIN HWYS AND OTHER ESTABLISHED CORRIDORS AT AND BELOW 1000' ALL WHICH ALLOWED US TO REMAIN CLR OF MOST FIXED WING TFC. NOW WHEN I HAVE TO PASS THROUGH ZZZ I REQUEST THOSE ROUTES AND LOWER ALTS, AND I AM INSTRUCTED TO CLB TO HIGHER ALTS. SEVERAL TIMES THIS HAS PLACED ME IN THE PATH OF LARGER, FASTER AIRPLANES CLBING OUT OF ZZZ OR SPC FLYING PATTERNS AT XYZ. TO SUMMARIZE I THINK THAT FOR THE ARSA TO BE EFFECTIVE IT NEEDS A LOT MORE CTLRS ON DUTY, THERE SHOULD BE SOME CONSIDERATION TO PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED PROCS AND CTLRS SHOULD RECEIVE MORE TRAINING AS TO WHAT SOME OF THE SMA HELICAPABILITIES AND LIMITATIONS ARE.

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.