Narrative:

During a bank robbery in north hollywood where at least 10 helicopters were in a close proximity. The bank robber shot an automatic weapon at our helicopter: one bullet went through our tail fin. The following week I discovered the lapd air support was filing a near miss report with our aircraft. And the FAA has asked for copies of my pilot and medical certificates. Due to the nature of this type of flying (once in a lifetime situation) high level communication is a must. I am trying to contact the police pilots to talk about this incident but difficulties are arising. My crew and I did not see or witness any close aircraft (near misses). Our helicopter received minor damage from the bullet. I feel that my pilot certificate should not be taken away and the FAA and police should communicate with me to better understand what has happened if anything. A near miss should be discussed with the parties at hand. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he and the other tv helicopter crews were on the air to air frequency and had been requested to remain above 1700 ft by lapd helicopter crews. They did so. Neither he nor his crew nor some of the other tv people he has talked to saw any near midair collision occur. Reporter has tried to contact lapd personnel but they have not returned his calls. He has heard from bur tower personnel that the lapd requested the tapes but were refused because they had not made a formal/procedural request. His chief pilot has attempted to contact the lapd without success. This incident took place along the flight path to runway 8 at bur and controllers were aware of the helicopters in the area and handling traffic around the scene. Reporter is quite concerned regarding the FAA action. He has been a helicopter pilot and an ai for 23 yrs and has not had such a problem before. The aircraft was an AS350B, turbine aircraft with 3 people on board. It was hit on the forward portion of the vertical fin with only minor skin damage. It was not discovered until the next day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TV NEWS RPTR PLT RPT OF HELI BEING HIT BY GUNFIRE DURING BANK ROBBERY. ALSO LAPD HELI PLT CLAIMS AN NMAC.

Narrative: DURING A BANK ROBBERY IN N HOLLYWOOD WHERE AT LEAST 10 HELIS WERE IN A CLOSE PROX. THE BANK ROBBER SHOT AN AUTOMATIC WEAPON AT OUR HELI: ONE BULLET WENT THROUGH OUR TAIL FIN. THE FOLLOWING WK I DISCOVERED THE LAPD AIR SUPPORT WAS FILING A NEAR MISS RPT WITH OUR ACFT. AND THE FAA HAS ASKED FOR COPIES OF MY PLT AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATES. DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS TYPE OF FLYING (ONCE IN A LIFETIME SIT) HIGH LEVEL COM IS A MUST. I AM TRYING TO CONTACT THE POLICE PLTS TO TALK ABOUT THIS INCIDENT BUT DIFFICULTIES ARE ARISING. MY CREW AND I DID NOT SEE OR WITNESS ANY CLOSE ACFT (NEAR MISSES). OUR HELI RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE FROM THE BULLET. I FEEL THAT MY PLT CERTIFICATE SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AWAY AND THE FAA AND POLICE SHOULD COMMUNICATE WITH ME TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT HAS HAPPENED IF ANYTHING. A NEAR MISS SHOULD BE DISCUSSED WITH THE PARTIES AT HAND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE AND THE OTHER TV HELI CREWS WERE ON THE AIR TO AIR FREQ AND HAD BEEN REQUESTED TO REMAIN ABOVE 1700 FT BY LAPD HELI CREWS. THEY DID SO. NEITHER HE NOR HIS CREW NOR SOME OF THE OTHER TV PEOPLE HE HAS TALKED TO SAW ANY NMAC OCCUR. RPTR HAS TRIED TO CONTACT LAPD PERSONNEL BUT THEY HAVE NOT RETURNED HIS CALLS. HE HAS HEARD FROM BUR TWR PERSONNEL THAT THE LAPD REQUESTED THE TAPES BUT WERE REFUSED BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT MADE A FORMAL/PROCEDURAL REQUEST. HIS CHIEF PLT HAS ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE LAPD WITHOUT SUCCESS. THIS INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ALONG THE FLT PATH TO RWY 8 AT BUR AND CTLRS WERE AWARE OF THE HELIS IN THE AREA AND HANDLING TFC AROUND THE SCENE. RPTR IS QUITE CONCERNED REGARDING THE FAA ACTION. HE HAS BEEN A HELI PLT AND AN AI FOR 23 YRS AND HAS NOT HAD SUCH A PROB BEFORE. THE ACFT WAS AN AS350B, TURBINE ACFT WITH 3 PEOPLE ON BOARD. IT WAS HIT ON THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE VERT FIN WITH ONLY MINOR SKIN DAMAGE. IT WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL THE NEXT DAY.

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.