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Police helicopter was encountered ovbserving pilot of small aircraft photo aircraft when altitude had decayed to 600' AGL over new developement area.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 175643 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199104 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : pdz airport : l66 |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 600 agl bound upper : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 8 |
| ASRS Report | 175643 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government other |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : became reoriented |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 3000 vertical : 200 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Started a photo mission run at 1000' AGL over 'the corona ranch.' a newly opened housing development in northeast corona, ca. While circling the project to line up camera angles, a riverside county sheriff's helicopter intercepted our arc and joined up opp our turn radius. Rechking my altimeter, it was noted my altitude had decayed to 600' AGL from 1000' AGL. I immediately climbed back to 1000' AGL, but the helicopter remained 'on station'. Fearing a conflict, I turned westerly to depart the area and the helicopter, in turn, departed southerly, the east, and out of sight. Too dark now to continue, I returned to the corona airport and landed. No radio contact with the helicopter was established and no further contacts on the ground were made by any law enforcement agency. I am unable to determine whether this 'intercept' was related to my position, altitude, or if we were being 'chased' away from coincidental police activity involving the helicopter. Nevertheless, I should not have allowed my altitude to inadvertently decay below the minimum 1000' AGL over a congested area.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: POLICE HELICOPTER WAS ENCOUNTERED OVBSERVING PLT OF SMA PHOTO ACFT WHEN ALT HAD DECAYED TO 600' AGL OVER NEW DEVELOPEMENT AREA.
Narrative: STARTED A PHOTO MISSION RUN AT 1000' AGL OVER 'THE CORONA RANCH.' A NEWLY OPENED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN NE CORONA, CA. WHILE CIRCLING THE PROJECT TO LINE UP CAMERA ANGLES, A RIVERSIDE COUNTY SHERIFF'S HELI INTERCEPTED OUR ARC AND JOINED UP OPP OUR TURN RADIUS. RECHKING MY ALTIMETER, IT WAS NOTED MY ALT HAD DECAYED TO 600' AGL FROM 1000' AGL. I IMMEDIATELY CLBED BACK TO 1000' AGL, BUT THE HELI REMAINED 'ON STATION'. FEARING A CONFLICT, I TURNED WESTERLY TO DEPART THE AREA AND THE HELI, IN TURN, DEPARTED SOUTHERLY, THE EAST, AND OUT OF SIGHT. TOO DARK NOW TO CONTINUE, I RETURNED TO THE CORONA ARPT AND LANDED. NO RADIO CONTACT WITH THE HELI WAS ESTABLISHED AND NO FURTHER CONTACTS ON THE GND WERE MADE BY ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. I AM UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THIS 'INTERCEPT' WAS RELATED TO MY POSITION, ALT, OR IF WE WERE BEING 'CHASED' AWAY FROM COINCIDENTAL POLICE ACTIVITY INVOLVING THE HELI. NEVERTHELESS, I SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED MY ALT TO INADVERTENTLY DECAY BELOW THE MINIMUM 1000' AGL OVER A CONGESTED AREA.
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.