Near midair collision between an sel small aircraft on a photo shoot and a news helicopter over a city. The reporter descended to avoid the helicopter resulting in going below the legally safe altitude over a congested area.

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Attributes
ACN	435162
Time
Date	199904
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ads.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d10.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Helicopter Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change cruise : level descent : holding
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d10.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level cruise : holding
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	435162
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 300 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During a photo event I was flying at a safe altitude when news helicopter interfered with our altitude resulting in that I had to descend below his altitude to an altitude at approximately 500 ft AGL over this congested area. There were never any hazards or danger present. There were plenty of areas where I could have landed in case of engine failure. I think the news helicopter should have monitored a local frequency or at least 122.90. In that case I would have been able to communicate with him and we would have been able to share this very tight airspace without being so close to each other and over ground. Photo missions do often call for low altitude shots and it is important to be able to communicate in and around these tight airspaces.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN AN SEL SMA ON A PHOTO SHOOT AND A NEWS HELI OVER A CITY. THE RPTR DSNDED TO AVOID THE HELI RESULTING IN GOING BELOW THE LEGALLY SAFE ALT OVER A CONGESTED AREA.

Narrative: DURING A PHOTO EVENT I WAS FLYING AT A SAFE ALT WHEN NEWS HELI INTERFERED WITH OUR ALT RESULTING IN THAT I HAD TO DSND BELOW HIS ALT TO AN ALT AT APPROX 500 FT AGL OVER THIS CONGESTED AREA. THERE WERE NEVER ANY HAZARDS OR DANGER PRESENT. THERE WERE PLENTY OF AREAS WHERE I COULD HAVE LANDED IN CASE OF ENG FAILURE. I THINK THE NEWS HELI SHOULD HAVE MONITORED A LCL FREQ OR AT LEAST 122.90. IN THAT CASE I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH HIM AND WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SHARE THIS VERY TIGHT AIRSPACE WITHOUT BEING SO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER AND OVER GND. PHOTO MISSIONS DO OFTEN CALL FOR LOW ALT SHOTS AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE IN AND AROUND THESE TIGHT AIRSPACES.

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.