Narrative:

This incident occurred while circling highway accident site in helicopter X at 1100' MSL over temporary restr area with top of 1000'. Site was just outside lna traffic pattern. We were in contact with pbi approach control. We were flying in a tight circle to allow news photographer to photograph a truck wreck involving spillage of chemicals. The area was difficult because of heavy air traffic, and approach control did an excellent job of advising us of traffic--but because we were turning it was impossible to use the clock angel references we were issued. Traffic was called at 9 O'clock, but was saw nothing. The traffic,small aircraft Y, reported us in sight. Suddenly we saw Y at 3 O'clock, headed directly at us about 1/4 mi away. We stopped our turn and avoided the traffic. It was not that close, but it surprised and scared us. It appears that the aircraft would have hit us if we had remained in the turn. Moral: while in a turn, traffic issued with a clock angle and range is almost useless. Because the angle changes rapidly, a better system would be to advise 'traffic 3 mi south of your position,' etc, as this would result in much less confusion for a maneuvering aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NEWS HELICOPTER CIRCLING TIGHTLY OVER HIGHWAY ACCIDENT SITE IN VICINITY OF LNA HAS CONFLICT WITH SMA IN THE LNA TRAFFIC PATTERN.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE CIRCLING HWY ACCIDENT SITE IN HELI X AT 1100' MSL OVER TEMPORARY RESTR AREA WITH TOP OF 1000'. SITE WAS JUST OUTSIDE LNA TFC PATTERN. WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH PBI APCH CTL. WE WERE FLYING IN A TIGHT CIRCLE TO ALLOW NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER TO PHOTOGRAPH A TRUCK WRECK INVOLVING SPILLAGE OF CHEMICALS. THE AREA WAS DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF HEAVY AIR TFC, AND APCH CTL DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF ADVISING US OF TFC--BUT BECAUSE WE WERE TURNING IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO USE THE CLOCK ANGEL REFERENCES WE WERE ISSUED. TFC WAS CALLED AT 9 O'CLOCK, BUT WAS SAW NOTHING. THE TFC,SMA Y, RPTED US IN SIGHT. SUDDENLY WE SAW Y AT 3 O'CLOCK, HEADED DIRECTLY AT US ABOUT 1/4 MI AWAY. WE STOPPED OUR TURN AND AVOIDED THE TFC. IT WAS NOT THAT CLOSE, BUT IT SURPRISED AND SCARED US. IT APPEARS THAT THE ACFT WOULD HAVE HIT US IF WE HAD REMAINED IN THE TURN. MORAL: WHILE IN A TURN, TFC ISSUED WITH A CLOCK ANGLE AND RANGE IS ALMOST USELESS. BECAUSE THE ANGLE CHANGES RAPIDLY, A BETTER SYS WOULD BE TO ADVISE 'TFC 3 MI S OF YOUR POS,' ETC, AS THIS WOULD RESULT IN MUCH LESS CONFUSION FOR A MANEUVERING ACFT.

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