Narrative:

Was circling at 500 ft around statue of liberty and ellis island in new york city harbor. Aircraft need to stay at 500 ft or below in the airspace just west of the statue to stay clear of newark class 'B' airspace. After 2-3 circuits of the area I noticed a helicopter straight ahead and quickly took evasive action to miss hitting it. During the turn to miss the first helicopter I narrowly missed 2 other helicopters which were approaching the area from behind me. The high wing down of the cessna 172 I was flying restricted my vision in the direction in which I was turning. The 500 plus ft base of class 'B' airspace forces aircraft circling the statue of liberty, a very popular tourist attraction, to all be at very nearly the same altitude in the same small area, while trying to look at the statue and other aircraft at the same time. I feel that this is a very dangerous situation with a high potential for a midair collision. Having a self announce frequency (123.05) is not enough. I was talking and listening on it. There is strong radio interference from transmitters atop the world trade center (just northeast) in the area, and xmissions may not be understandable. I recommend extending class 'B' to the surface around the statue of liberty - ellis island area and having newark tower or approach control limit and control all aircraft in it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE SIGHT-SEEING AROUND THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, THE RPTR EXPERIENCED CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH 3 HELIS.

Narrative: WAS CIRCLING AT 500 FT AROUND STATUE OF LIBERTY AND ELLIS ISLAND IN NEW YORK CITY HARBOR. ACFT NEED TO STAY AT 500 FT OR BELOW IN THE AIRSPACE JUST W OF THE STATUE TO STAY CLR OF NEWARK CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE. AFTER 2-3 CIRCUITS OF THE AREA I NOTICED A HELI STRAIGHT AHEAD AND QUICKLY TOOK EVASIVE ACTION TO MISS HITTING IT. DURING THE TURN TO MISS THE FIRST HELI I NARROWLY MISSED 2 OTHER HELIS WHICH WERE APCHING THE AREA FROM BEHIND ME. THE HIGH WING DOWN OF THE CESSNA 172 I WAS FLYING RESTRICTED MY VISION IN THE DIRECTION IN WHICH I WAS TURNING. THE 500 PLUS FT BASE OF CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE FORCES ACFT CIRCLING THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, A VERY POPULAR TOURIST ATTRACTION, TO ALL BE AT VERY NEARLY THE SAME ALT IN THE SAME SMALL AREA, WHILE TRYING TO LOOK AT THE STATUE AND OTHER ACFT AT THE SAME TIME. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SIT WITH A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR A MIDAIR COLLISION. HAVING A SELF ANNOUNCE FREQ (123.05) IS NOT ENOUGH. I WAS TALKING AND LISTENING ON IT. THERE IS STRONG RADIO INTERFERENCE FROM XMITTERS ATOP THE WORLD TRADE CTR (JUST NE) IN THE AREA, AND XMISSIONS MAY NOT BE UNDERSTANDABLE. I RECOMMEND EXTENDING CLASS 'B' TO THE SURFACE AROUND THE STATUE OF LIBERTY - ELLIS ISLAND AREA AND HAVING NEWARK TWR OR APCH CTL LIMIT AND CTL ALL ACFT IN IT.

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.