Narrative:

Local residents had been complaining about an odor from a local land fill for the past 2 yrs. The problem had escalated to the point where the state epa officials with local officials started an investigation. Apparently they found hydrochloric sulfide gas (swamp gas) coming from the site. This is not considered dangerous in a diluted state and is caused by rotting garbage. I fly a helicopter for a local tv station. We had been over the area a few days prior to pick up some aerials on the site. On feb/xx/95 at XA00 pm we had received a 2 page press release from the county that there would be a mandatory evacuation from the area saturday and sunday, am through pm for all residents 1/4 mi from the source. There was no mention on the press release of any flight restrs. I assumed during the mandatory evacuation saturday through sunday, the area would be off limits. Knowing also that same day, jan/xx/95, in the area another local tv station helicopter had been in and out. With all this in mind, we responded at XA25 to pick up some last min aerials of the site for the friday night news. Arriving over the site, we were notified by the station the area was restr. Local authority/authorized on the ground called the station, they in turn called me, on the way back I called flight service and there was in fact a NOTAM issued for a temporary flight restr the previous day. It only takes a few min en route to a scene to check for NOTAMS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEDIA HELI PLT FLIES INTO SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE WITHOUT AUTH.

Narrative: LCL RESIDENTS HAD BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT AN ODOR FROM A LCL LAND FILL FOR THE PAST 2 YRS. THE PROB HAD ESCALATED TO THE POINT WHERE THE STATE EPA OFFICIALS WITH LCL OFFICIALS STARTED AN INVESTIGATION. APPARENTLY THEY FOUND HYDROCHLORIC SULFIDE GAS (SWAMP GAS) COMING FROM THE SITE. THIS IS NOT CONSIDERED DANGEROUS IN A DILUTED STATE AND IS CAUSED BY ROTTING GARBAGE. I FLY A HELI FOR A LCL TV STATION. WE HAD BEEN OVER THE AREA A FEW DAYS PRIOR TO PICK UP SOME AERIALS ON THE SITE. ON FEB/XX/95 AT XA00 PM WE HAD RECEIVED A 2 PAGE PRESS RELEASE FROM THE COUNTY THAT THERE WOULD BE A MANDATORY EVACUATION FROM THE AREA SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, AM THROUGH PM FOR ALL RESIDENTS 1/4 MI FROM THE SOURCE. THERE WAS NO MENTION ON THE PRESS RELEASE OF ANY FLT RESTRS. I ASSUMED DURING THE MANDATORY EVACUATION SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, THE AREA WOULD BE OFF LIMITS. KNOWING ALSO THAT SAME DAY, JAN/XX/95, IN THE AREA ANOTHER LCL TV STATION HELI HAD BEEN IN AND OUT. WITH ALL THIS IN MIND, WE RESPONDED AT XA25 TO PICK UP SOME LAST MIN AERIALS OF THE SITE FOR THE FRIDAY NIGHT NEWS. ARRIVING OVER THE SITE, WE WERE NOTIFIED BY THE STATION THE AREA WAS RESTR. LCL AUTH ON THE GND CALLED THE STATION, THEY IN TURN CALLED ME, ON THE WAY BACK I CALLED FLT SVC AND THERE WAS IN FACT A NOTAM ISSUED FOR A TEMPORARY FLT RESTR THE PREVIOUS DAY. IT ONLY TAKES A FEW MIN ENRTE TO A SCENE TO CHK FOR NOTAMS.

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.