Narrative:

Aircraft is on an exclusive contract to the us department of the interior, mineral management service, for use in transporting government personnel to offshore oil drilling and production platforms off the southern california coast. Aviation mishap information system incident report has been filed. I departed oxr with 2 passengers aboard, en route to oil platform to investigate an oil spill. (This platform is located approximately 15 mi offshore, south of lgb). We transitted the ntd control zone, eastbound at 500 ft MSL, in special VFR conditions, then continued east along the shoreline. (Ntd was reporting a measured 700 ft overcast, visibility 2 1/2 mi in fog). Because of the reduced visibility, I had turned all position lights, anti-collision strobe, and both landing lights, and was watching for any on-coming traffic. The terrain prevented radar advisories, but I continued to monitor the mugu approach frequency, VHF 124.700 MHZ, listening for traffic. Approximately 8 NM east of ntd, near solomar, I saw another helicopter approaching at the same altitude, head-on. My first impression was of a medium or large helicopter, 1 mi distant. I began a right turn to avoid, persuant to far 91.113(east), but the rapid rate of closure revealed that this was actually a smaller helicopter, very much closer. I took violent evasive action, rolling right, through 90 degree of bank. At this time the small aircraft Y began to bank right, and cleared along our left side, at an estimated 75-100 ft laterally, with little or no vertical clearance. The small aircraft Y was white with a blue tail boom. I did not see any lights on the small aircraft Y certainly the landing light was not lit. I heard the small aircraft Y contact mugu tower, VHF 124.850 MHZ to request a special VFR clearance to cma. The tower controller instructed the helicopter to contact mugu approach, and I heard the approach controller talking to the small aircraft Y but did not hear any transmissions from the helicopter, due to the terrain. No damage or injuries resulted from this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX 2 GA SMA HELIS OPPOSITE DIRECTION OFF SHORE FROM NTD UNDER LOW OVERCAST WITH VISIBILITY 2 PT 5 AND FOG.

Narrative: ACFT IS ON AN EXCLUSIVE CONTRACT TO THE U.S. DEPT OF THE INTERIOR, MINERAL MGMNT SVC, FOR USE IN TRANSPORTING GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL TO OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING AND PRODUCTION PLATFORMS OFF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST. AVIATION MISHAP INFO SYS INCIDENT RPT HAS BEEN FILED. I DEPARTED OXR WITH 2 PAXS ABOARD, ENRTE TO OIL PLATFORM TO INVESTIGATE AN OIL SPILL. (THIS PLATFORM IS LOCATED APPROX 15 MI OFFSHORE, S OF LGB). WE TRANSITTED THE NTD CTL ZONE, EBOUND AT 500 FT MSL, IN SPECIAL VFR CONDITIONS, THEN CONTINUED E ALONG THE SHORELINE. (NTD WAS RPTING A MEASURED 700 FT OVCST, VISIBILITY 2 1/2 MI IN FOG). BECAUSE OF THE REDUCED VISIBILITY, I HAD TURNED ALL POS LIGHTS, ANTI-COLLISION STROBE, AND BOTH LNDG LIGHTS, AND WAS WATCHING FOR ANY ON-COMING TFC. THE TERRAIN PREVENTED RADAR ADVISORIES, BUT I CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE MUGU APCH FREQ, VHF 124.700 MHZ, LISTENING FOR TFC. APPROX 8 NM E OF NTD, NEAR SOLOMAR, I SAW ANOTHER HELI APCHING AT THE SAME ALT, HEAD-ON. MY FIRST IMPRESSION WAS OF A MEDIUM OR LARGE HELI, 1 MI DISTANT. I BEGAN A R TURN TO AVOID, PERSUANT TO FAR 91.113(E), BUT THE RAPID RATE OF CLOSURE REVEALED THAT THIS WAS ACTUALLY A SMALLER HELI, VERY MUCH CLOSER. I TOOK VIOLENT EVASIVE ACTION, ROLLING R, THROUGH 90 DEG OF BANK. AT THIS TIME THE SMA Y BEGAN TO BANK R, AND CLRED ALONG OUR L SIDE, AT AN ESTIMATED 75-100 FT LATERALLY, WITH LITTLE OR NO VERTICAL CLRNC. THE SMA Y WAS WHITE WITH A BLUE TAIL BOOM. I DID NOT SEE ANY LIGHTS ON THE SMA Y CERTAINLY THE LNDG LIGHT WAS NOT LIT. I HEARD THE SMA Y CONTACT MUGU TWR, VHF 124.850 MHZ TO REQUEST A SPECIAL VFR CLRNC TO CMA. THE TWR CTLR INSTRUCTED THE HELI TO CONTACT MUGU APCH, AND I HEARD THE APCH CTLR TALKING TO THE SMA Y BUT DID NOT HEAR ANY TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE HELI, DUE TO THE TERRAIN. NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES RESULTED FROM THIS INCIDENT.

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.