Narrative:

I was flying a passenger at a public relations event, where the passenger was to throw toys from the helicopter onto a grassy field, and then the waiting people would run out and get the toys (some with prizes inside). I fully looked over the area, and coordinated plans with the ones involved with the promotion. I also had a ground helper (fellow pilot) with a hand-held radio. I came in to drop the toys as planned and then the heads of the promotion radioed a change in plans -- to drop all toys out at one time. I came around and we were dropping toys -- I was on the left side away from crowd so could not see all to my right. Fortunately my ground person told me (not through the avionics radio, which was being used through vox headset system and another radio, to broadcast a running commentary to the ground from my passenger) what was happening by hand signals, and I was able to back away from crowd. In future: must have isolated communication system so as to have a secure contact with ground personnel and better coordination with those in control of event and barricade/electronic barriers for crowd control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI PLT FLYING A PUBLIC RELATIONS EVENT LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND FLEW TOO CLOSE TO A CROWD OF PEOPLE ON THE GND.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A PAX AT A PUBLIC RELATIONS EVENT, WHERE THE PAX WAS TO THROW TOYS FROM THE HELI ONTO A GRASSY FIELD, AND THEN THE WAITING PEOPLE WOULD RUN OUT AND GET THE TOYS (SOME WITH PRIZES INSIDE). I FULLY LOOKED OVER THE AREA, AND COORDINATED PLANS WITH THE ONES INVOLVED WITH THE PROMOTION. I ALSO HAD A GND HELPER (FELLOW PLT) WITH A HAND-HELD RADIO. I CAME IN TO DROP THE TOYS AS PLANNED AND THEN THE HEADS OF THE PROMOTION RADIOED A CHANGE IN PLANS -- TO DROP ALL TOYS OUT AT ONE TIME. I CAME AROUND AND WE WERE DROPPING TOYS -- I WAS ON THE L SIDE AWAY FROM CROWD SO COULD NOT SEE ALL TO MY R. FORTUNATELY MY GND PERSON TOLD ME (NOT THROUGH THE AVIONICS RADIO, WHICH WAS BEING USED THROUGH VOX HEADSET SYS AND ANOTHER RADIO, TO BROADCAST A RUNNING COMMENTARY TO THE GND FROM MY PAX) WHAT WAS HAPPENING BY HAND SIGNALS, AND I WAS ABLE TO BACK AWAY FROM CROWD. IN FUTURE: MUST HAVE ISOLATED COM SYS SO AS TO HAVE A SECURE CONTACT WITH GND PERSONNEL AND BETTER COORD WITH THOSE IN CTL OF EVENT AND BARRICADE/ELECTRONIC BARRIERS FOR CROWD CTL.

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.