Narrative:

Was assigned to fly tv helicopter for a photo shoot of a forest fire near the cleveland airport. The news desk called the forest fire dispatcher prior to our departure at XX10 hours and confirmed with them about flying in the area for photo shoots. They passed at that time there was no restr but there may be if they bring in tankers for water drops. Upon arriving on scene at approximately XX15 hours I called in on the local frequency 123.0 that we were in the area for photo work. All the forest aircraft were on the ground at this time and no one answered up for the forest service. At the same time a twin beech was flying in the area of the fire scene and not talking to anyone. After about 20 mins on scene the forest service aircraft took off to start water drops. I again made calls on local 123.0 and reported my position and stayed clear of the water drop aircraft. At approximately XX45 hours I landed in a remote field so the reporter could do an interview with the forest service, mr. Y, about the fire scene. At no time did mr. Y state the scene was restr. After returning to houston I was contacted by FAA, at about ZA00 hours, that the forest service restricts on the fire scene at cleveland. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the entire situation was handled with the FAA on the day of the incident. FAA agreed that there was no way reporter would know about the temporary restr since it occurred after he had departed. FAA in that area believed they had a blanket restr area with the existence of any fire. This is of course incorrect and they closed the episode then and there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI FLYING FOR TV NEWS CREW OVER A FIRE SCENE IS ACCUSED OF ENTERING A TEMPORARY RESTR AREA. THE RESTR WAS NOT IN FORCE WHEN RPTR DEPARTED.

Narrative: WAS ASSIGNED TO FLY TV HELI FOR A PHOTO SHOOT OF A FOREST FIRE NEAR THE CLEVELAND ARPT. THE NEWS DESK CALLED THE FOREST FIRE DISPATCHER PRIOR TO OUR DEP AT XX10 HRS AND CONFIRMED WITH THEM ABOUT FLYING IN THE AREA FOR PHOTO SHOOTS. THEY PASSED AT THAT TIME THERE WAS NO RESTR BUT THERE MAY BE IF THEY BRING IN TANKERS FOR WATER DROPS. UPON ARRIVING ON SCENE AT APPROX XX15 HRS I CALLED IN ON THE LCL FREQ 123.0 THAT WE WERE IN THE AREA FOR PHOTO WORK. ALL THE FOREST ACFT WERE ON THE GND AT THIS TIME AND NO ONE ANSWERED UP FOR THE FOREST SVC. AT THE SAME TIME A TWIN BEECH WAS FLYING IN THE AREA OF THE FIRE SCENE AND NOT TALKING TO ANYONE. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINS ON SCENE THE FOREST SVC ACFT TOOK OFF TO START WATER DROPS. I AGAIN MADE CALLS ON LCL 123.0 AND RPTED MY POS AND STAYED CLR OF THE WATER DROP ACFT. AT APPROX XX45 HRS I LANDED IN A REMOTE FIELD SO THE RPTR COULD DO AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FOREST SVC, MR. Y, ABOUT THE FIRE SCENE. AT NO TIME DID MR. Y STATE THE SCENE WAS RESTR. AFTER RETURNING TO HOUSTON I WAS CONTACTED BY FAA, AT ABOUT ZA00 HRS, THAT THE FOREST SVC RESTRICTS ON THE FIRE SCENE AT CLEVELAND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE ENTIRE SIT WAS HANDLED WITH THE FAA ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT. FAA AGREED THAT THERE WAS NO WAY RPTR WOULD KNOW ABOUT THE TEMPORARY RESTR SINCE IT OCCURRED AFTER HE HAD DEPARTED. FAA IN THAT AREA BELIEVED THEY HAD A BLANKET RESTR AREA WITH THE EXISTENCE OF ANY FIRE. THIS IS OF COURSE INCORRECT AND THEY CLOSED THE EPISODE THEN AND THERE.

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.