Helicopter looking for cattle experienced near midair collision with agricultural aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	598656
Time
Date	200310
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : vct.vor
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	Other
Make Model Name	Jet Ranger/Kiowa/206
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	Other
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company other
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 5758.1 flight time type : 2075.5
ASRS Report	598656
Person 2
Affiliation	company other
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

While looking for cattle, hovering at approximately 10 ft AGL between 30 ft tall trees, we were completely surprised when an aerial sprayer (probably a 402 air tractor) appeared and circled approximately 200 ft above us, as he prepared to begin his spray run in the cotton field adjoining the pasture we were in. It seemed as though he was just as surprised as we were. He immediately began his runs on the field and we stayed in the trees until he was a safe distance away. Had we come out of the trees a few moments earlier, the result could have been catastrophic. My sole reason for reporting this is twofold. The first reason is to emphasize the need for us as pilots to be constantly vigilant, due to the very real possibility of 2 aircraft intersecting and colliding, even in an unpopulated, seemingly middle of nowhere, with obvious catastrophic results. The second reason is to emphasize the need for a requirement of all aircraft to have operating xponders with altitude encoding. As we have a traffic alerting system in our aircraft, we would have been alerted adequately to keep our position. As it was, by the grace of god, we did anyway. Comparing the cost of most aircraft, to the loss of life and property possible, the additional cost transponder with blind encoder seems nil!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI LOOKING FOR CATTLE EXPERIENCED NMAC WITH AGRICULTURAL ACFT.

Narrative: WHILE LOOKING FOR CATTLE, HOVERING AT APPROX 10 FT AGL BTWN 30 FT TALL TREES, WE WERE COMPLETELY SURPRISED WHEN AN AERIAL SPRAYER (PROBABLY A 402 AIR TRACTOR) APPEARED AND CIRCLED APPROX 200 FT ABOVE US, AS HE PREPARED TO BEGIN HIS SPRAY RUN IN THE COTTON FIELD ADJOINING THE PASTURE WE WERE IN. IT SEEMED AS THOUGH HE WAS JUST AS SURPRISED AS WE WERE. HE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN HIS RUNS ON THE FIELD AND WE STAYED IN THE TREES UNTIL HE WAS A SAFE DISTANCE AWAY. HAD WE COME OUT OF THE TREES A FEW MOMENTS EARLIER, THE RESULT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. MY SOLE REASON FOR RPTING THIS IS TWOFOLD. THE FIRST REASON IS TO EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR US AS PLTS TO BE CONSTANTLY VIGILANT, DUE TO THE VERY REAL POSSIBILITY OF 2 ACFT INTERSECTING AND COLLIDING, EVEN IN AN UNPOPULATED, SEEMINGLY MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, WITH OBVIOUS CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. THE SECOND REASON IS TO EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR A REQUIREMENT OF ALL ACFT TO HAVE OPERATING XPONDERS WITH ALT ENCODING. AS WE HAVE A TFC ALERTING SYS IN OUR ACFT, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ALERTED ADEQUATELY TO KEEP OUR POS. AS IT WAS, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, WE DID ANYWAY. COMPARING THE COST OF MOST ACFT, TO THE LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY POSSIBLE, THE ADDITIONAL COST XPONDER WITH BLIND ENCODER SEEMS NIL!

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.