Narrative:

On a VFR night flight approaching cable airport on a 45 to a left upwind, realized that the airport he was approaching was not cable, but ontario international and that the aircraft was inside the inner circle of the arsa about 1.5 to 2 mi from the tower. When this was realized I started a 180 turn to right to exit the area. After establishing the turn I saw a helicopter that appeared to be at the same altitude 400-600' in front of me on a parallel course to my original 45 pattern entry heading, but in the opposite direction. As the helicopter started a descent I pulled up into a steep climbing right turn. I rolled out still in a climb about 90 degree to the right of my approach heading and had lost sight of the helicopter, my passenger said it was low and to my right. This area was familiar to me because I took my flight training out of rialto airport and the area between rialto and cable was my practice area. I had been to cable several times in the daytime, but only once at night. This may have created a sense of over confidence. Visibility was 6 mi in haze, clouds not a factor except by blocking the moon light, the smog was thick enough to see layers of it from the ground lights. The primary factor was my concentration on learning to navigate by pilotage alone and ignoring the navaids and services that were available to me. In summary, I know how I got lost, and how to prevent it in the future. Pay attention to what I am doing, fly the airplane, do not act like a passenger and use all available resources to assist and verify position. The near miss that occurred was due in part to basic failure to clear the area before turning, and to insure the whereabouts of any known aircraft close by. However I do not understand why the helicopter pilot put his craft so close. As it turned out he was an ontario police helicopter, and he followed us down to cable to talk to us. He said ont tower was reporting my position and he had visual contact, why he decided to steer a near intercept course that put us in potential jeopardy is beyond me. Especially when you consider where I was, no radio contact had been established, and he had no way of knowing my condition or intentions. Human factors: nothing unusual about my condition, maybe a little tired from a normal day's work. Attention to where I was and what I was, (or wasn't) doing, I think played the major role. I credit the other pilot for saving our bacon with is quick reactions, mine were much slower. I saw him, then saw him take evasive action, and then moved. Experience and a better understanding of spatial orientation hopefully will improve my own reactions.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME PRIVATE PLT MISIDENTIFIES ARPT AND INTERPRETS POLICY ROTARY WING INTERCEPT MANEUVER AS AN NMAC AS HELICOPTER IS ASKED TO IDENTIFY NORAC TRAFFIC BY TRACON APCH CTLR. ARSA PENETRATION.

Narrative: ON A VFR NIGHT FLT APCHING CABLE ARPT ON A 45 TO A LEFT UPWIND, REALIZED THAT THE ARPT HE WAS APCHING WAS NOT CABLE, BUT ONTARIO INTL AND THAT THE ACFT WAS INSIDE THE INNER CIRCLE OF THE ARSA ABOUT 1.5 TO 2 MI FROM THE TWR. WHEN THIS WAS REALIZED I STARTED A 180 TURN TO RIGHT TO EXIT THE AREA. AFTER ESTABLISHING THE TURN I SAW A HELI THAT APPEARED TO BE AT THE SAME ALT 400-600' IN FRONT OF ME ON A PARALLEL COURSE TO MY ORIGINAL 45 PATTERN ENTRY HDG, BUT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. AS THE HELI STARTED A DSNT I PULLED UP INTO A STEEP CLIMBING RIGHT TURN. I ROLLED OUT STILL IN A CLIMB ABOUT 90 DEG TO THE RIGHT OF MY APCH HDG AND HAD LOST SIGHT OF THE HELI, MY PAX SAID IT WAS LOW AND TO MY RIGHT. THIS AREA WAS FAMILIAR TO ME BECAUSE I TOOK MY FLT TRAINING OUT OF RIALTO ARPT AND THE AREA BETWEEN RIALTO AND CABLE WAS MY PRACTICE AREA. I HAD BEEN TO CABLE SEVERAL TIMES IN THE DAYTIME, BUT ONLY ONCE AT NIGHT. THIS MAY HAVE CREATED A SENSE OF OVER CONFIDENCE. VISIBILITY WAS 6 MI IN HAZE, CLOUDS NOT A FACTOR EXCEPT BY BLOCKING THE MOON LIGHT, THE SMOG WAS THICK ENOUGH TO SEE LAYERS OF IT FROM THE GND LIGHTS. THE PRIMARY FACTOR WAS MY CONCENTRATION ON LEARNING TO NAVIGATE BY PILOTAGE ALONE AND IGNORING THE NAVAIDS AND SERVICES THAT WERE AVAILABLE TO ME. IN SUMMARY, I KNOW HOW I GOT LOST, AND HOW TO PREVENT IT IN THE FUTURE. PAY ATTN TO WHAT I AM DOING, FLY THE AIRPLANE, DO NOT ACT LIKE A PAX AND USE ALL AVAILABLE RESOURCES TO ASSIST AND VERIFY POSITION. THE NEAR MISS THAT OCCURRED WAS DUE IN PART TO BASIC FAILURE TO CLEAR THE AREA BEFORE TURNING, AND TO INSURE THE WHEREABOUTS OF ANY KNOWN ACFT CLOSE BY. HOWEVER I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE HELI PLT PUT HIS CRAFT SO CLOSE. AS IT TURNED OUT HE WAS AN ONTARIO POLICE HELI, AND HE FOLLOWED US DOWN TO CABLE TO TALK TO US. HE SAID ONT TWR WAS REPORTING MY POSITION AND HE HAD VISUAL CONTACT, WHY HE DECIDED TO STEER A NEAR INTERCEPT COURSE THAT PUT US IN POTENTIAL JEOPARDY IS BEYOND ME. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER WHERE I WAS, NO RADIO CONTACT HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED, AND HE HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING MY CONDITION OR INTENTIONS. HUMAN FACTORS: NOTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT MY CONDITION, MAYBE A LITTLE TIRED FROM A NORMAL DAY'S WORK. ATTN TO WHERE I WAS AND WHAT I WAS, (OR WASN'T) DOING, I THINK PLAYED THE MAJOR ROLE. I CREDIT THE OTHER PLT FOR SAVING OUR BACON WITH IS QUICK REACTIONS, MINE WERE MUCH SLOWER. I SAW HIM, THEN SAW HIM TAKE EVASIVE ACTION, AND THEN MOVED. EXPERIENCE AND A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF SPATIAL ORIENTATION HOPEFULLY WILL IMPROVE MY OWN REACTIONS.

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.