Narrative:

On mar/xx/96, at approximately XX00 pm PST, I departed smo for a local VFR flight over the city. Mindful of smo class D, lax class B, and bur class C, as always, I made certain to avoid these airspaces. My plan was to fly approximately 45 mins. The route of my flight took me over the downtown los angeles industrial area adjacent to the santa monica (10) freeway. For approximately 5 mins I continued to circle the area at an altitude varying from 1000-2000 ft. Noticing helicopter traffic below me, I set my radio to 122.75 air-to-air frequency and attempted to contact the traffic for the purpose of insuring mutual visual contact (see and be seen). Upon receiving no reply, I activated my smoke generating system in order to further enhance my visibility. Uncomfortable with the traffic situation, I decided to depart the area and return to smo. On my return flight, after getting ATIS information, I tuned to smo tower, 120.1, prior to entering the class D airspace, and I waited for my turn to transmit my inbound intentions. At that time I heard a transmission directed to the tower from an aircraft identing itself as police helicopter in pursuit of a red biplane for the purpose of 'law enforcement action.' I immediately contacted the tower to inform them that I was inbound for landing. I was instructed by the tower only to report downwind abeam. After clearance, I landed uneventfully and taxied to my parking. Upon shutdown, I was approached by a police officer who informed me that he was of the opinion that I had performed aerobatic maneuvers at an unsafe altitude, which he claims to have witnessed from his helicopter. I believe that I conducted this flight in compliance with all applicable FARS. However, in retrospect, I realize that I have not had a pitot static system check since I have owned this airplane (approximately 9 months). I am now having a licensed avionics shop perform a complete test of the pitot static system as well as all flight instruments, and plan to make all necessary repairs. If at any time my altitude was below 1000 ft it was inadvertent and/or an equipment problem. My flight maneuvers were consistent only with my concern for avoiding other traffic in the area.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING SIGHTSEEING FLT OF LAX, RPTR SAW HELI TFC BELOW HIM, AND ACCORDING TO RPTR, IN ATTEMPT TO MAKE HIMSELF MORE VISIBLE, ACTIVATED HIS SMOKE GENERATING SYS. BEING IN A BIPLANE AND PROBABLY AN ACROBATIC ONE, IT IS LIKELY RPTR WAS 'PUTTING ON A SHOW,' BUT THE POLICE HELI FOLLOWED HIM TO LNDG TO ISSUE A TICKET.

Narrative: ON MAR/XX/96, AT APPROX XX00 PM PST, I DEPARTED SMO FOR A LCL VFR FLT OVER THE CITY. MINDFUL OF SMO CLASS D, LAX CLASS B, AND BUR CLASS C, AS ALWAYS, I MADE CERTAIN TO AVOID THESE AIRSPACES. MY PLAN WAS TO FLY APPROX 45 MINS. THE RTE OF MY FLT TOOK ME OVER THE DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES INDUSTRIAL AREA ADJACENT TO THE SANTA MONICA (10) FREEWAY. FOR APPROX 5 MINS I CONTINUED TO CIRCLE THE AREA AT AN ALT VARYING FROM 1000-2000 FT. NOTICING HELI TFC BELOW ME, I SET MY RADIO TO 122.75 AIR-TO-AIR FREQ AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE TFC FOR THE PURPOSE OF INSURING MUTUAL VISUAL CONTACT (SEE AND BE SEEN). UPON RECEIVING NO REPLY, I ACTIVATED MY SMOKE GENERATING SYS IN ORDER TO FURTHER ENHANCE MY VISIBILITY. UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE TFC SIT, I DECIDED TO DEPART THE AREA AND RETURN TO SMO. ON MY RETURN FLT, AFTER GETTING ATIS INFO, I TUNED TO SMO TWR, 120.1, PRIOR TO ENTERING THE CLASS D AIRSPACE, AND I WAITED FOR MY TURN TO XMIT MY INBOUND INTENTIONS. AT THAT TIME I HEARD A XMISSION DIRECTED TO THE TWR FROM AN ACFT IDENTING ITSELF AS POLICE HELI IN PURSUIT OF A RED BIPLANE FOR THE PURPOSE OF 'LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTION.' I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE TWR TO INFORM THEM THAT I WAS INBOUND FOR LNDG. I WAS INSTRUCTED BY THE TWR ONLY TO RPT DOWNWIND ABEAM. AFTER CLRNC, I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND TAXIED TO MY PARKING. UPON SHUTDOWN, I WAS APCHED BY A POLICE OFFICER WHO INFORMED ME THAT HE WAS OF THE OPINION THAT I HAD PERFORMED AEROBATIC MANEUVERS AT AN UNSAFE ALT, WHICH HE CLAIMS TO HAVE WITNESSED FROM HIS HELI. I BELIEVE THAT I CONDUCTED THIS FLT IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE FARS. HOWEVER, IN RETROSPECT, I REALIZE THAT I HAVE NOT HAD A PITOT STATIC SYS CHK SINCE I HAVE OWNED THIS AIRPLANE (APPROX 9 MONTHS). I AM NOW HAVING A LICENSED AVIONICS SHOP PERFORM A COMPLETE TEST OF THE PITOT STATIC SYS AS WELL AS ALL FLT INSTS, AND PLAN TO MAKE ALL NECESSARY REPAIRS. IF AT ANY TIME MY ALT WAS BELOW 1000 FT IT WAS INADVERTENT AND/OR AN EQUIP PROB. MY FLT MANEUVERS WERE CONSISTENT ONLY WITH MY CONCERN FOR AVOIDING OTHER TFC IN THE 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.