Narrative:

My company was under contract to do mapping on a site near highway 295 on the west side of jacksonville, fl. This required that we use our aerial mapping airplane/camera and fly along 3 short flight lines at an altitude of 1680 ft above the ground. We descended into the area from the west while working with jacksonville approach. Jacksonville approach gave us traffic information on an aircraft circling in an area near our project site. I made visual contact with this traffic. It was soon obvious that the traffic was a florida highway patrol aircraft looking for speeding cars on highway 295. I maintained visual separation with this aircraft, timing the runs on our flight lines so as to avoid getting too close to the other aircraft. I asked jacksonville approach if he had any way to contact the highway patrol. He said he did not have time. Soon the other aircraft started chasing after us and seemed to attempt formation flight with our aircraft. I kept turning away and then applied full power and climbed away. I asked jacksonville approach if he would have the watch supervisor call florida highway patrol. He said he would 'make a note of it.' we then resumed our operation, still maintaining visual separation and completed our work. We continued flight following to our home airport and landed. Once on the ground I telephoned the highway patrol office in jacksonville. I gave them my name and phone # and the nature of the problem. They then connected me (via telephone) with the pilot. It was an extremely bad telephone connection and I could not hear what he was saying very well. I explained our operation to him. He said he was trying to see our 'north' #. He said he did not want there to be any hard feelings and apologized. The problem could have been eliminated if florida high patrol would work with the appropriate ATC facility when they are working in or near congested airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC OR AN UNAUTH FORMATION FLT.

Narrative: MY COMPANY WAS UNDER CONTRACT TO DO MAPPING ON A SITE NEAR HIGHWAY 295 ON THE W SIDE OF JACKSONVILLE, FL. THIS REQUIRED THAT WE USE OUR AERIAL MAPPING AIRPLANE/CAMERA AND FLY ALONG 3 SHORT FLT LINES AT AN ALT OF 1680 FT ABOVE THE GND. WE DSNDED INTO THE AREA FROM THE W WHILE WORKING WITH JACKSONVILLE APCH. JACKSONVILLE APCH GAVE US TFC INFO ON AN ACFT CIRCLING IN AN AREA NEAR OUR PROJECT SITE. I MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THIS TFC. IT WAS SOON OBVIOUS THAT THE TFC WAS A FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL ACFT LOOKING FOR SPDING CARS ON HIGHWAY 295. I MAINTAINED VISUAL SEPARATION WITH THIS ACFT, TIMING THE RUNS ON OUR FLT LINES SO AS TO AVOID GETTING TOO CLOSE TO THE OTHER ACFT. I ASKED JACKSONVILLE APCH IF HE HAD ANY WAY TO CONTACT THE HIGHWAY PATROL. HE SAID HE DID NOT HAVE TIME. SOON THE OTHER ACFT STARTED CHASING AFTER US AND SEEMED TO ATTEMPT FORMATION FLT WITH OUR ACFT. I KEPT TURNING AWAY AND THEN APPLIED FULL PWR AND CLBED AWAY. I ASKED JACKSONVILLE APCH IF HE WOULD HAVE THE WATCH SUPVR CALL FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL. HE SAID HE WOULD 'MAKE A NOTE OF IT.' WE THEN RESUMED OUR OP, STILL MAINTAINING VISUAL SEPARATION AND COMPLETED OUR WORK. WE CONTINUED FLT FOLLOWING TO OUR HOME ARPT AND LANDED. ONCE ON THE GND I TELEPHONED THE HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICE IN JACKSONVILLE. I GAVE THEM MY NAME AND PHONE # AND THE NATURE OF THE PROB. THEY THEN CONNECTED ME (VIA TELEPHONE) WITH THE PLT. IT WAS AN EXTREMELY BAD TELEPHONE CONNECTION AND I COULD NOT HEAR WHAT HE WAS SAYING VERY WELL. I EXPLAINED OUR OP TO HIM. HE SAID HE WAS TRYING TO SEE OUR 'N' #. HE SAID HE DID NOT WANT THERE TO BE ANY HARD FEELINGS AND APOLOGIZED. THE PROB COULD HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED IF FLORIDA HIGH PATROL WOULD WORK WITH THE APPROPRIATE ATC FACILITY WHEN THEY ARE WORKING IN OR NEAR CONGESTED AIRSPACE.

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.