Narrative:

I was flying a tour to the grand canyon. We left las vegas in an EC130. At approximately XA50 we were approaching the entrance to the green 4 helicopter route located inside the grand canyon national park sfar area. We were climbing up to 5000 ft MSL on an eastbound heading when I observed another helicopter south of my position. We were catching up on them; and I tried to call them up on the radio. They did not answer after multiple attempts; and I decided to slow down and follow them. I made a radio call to enter the green 4 route. The other helicopter never made the radio call; which is required by the sfr. I positioned myself with the other aircraft at my 2 O'clock position and 1/4 - 1/2 NM separation. Behind me at my 4-5 O'clock position was another helicopter with similar separation; and behind him was another. It is a very busy airspace. I made several more attempts to contact this guy on the radio -- still no answer. All of a sudden he initiates a very abrupt and aggressive left turn; bringing him on collision course with us. I immediately initiated a rapid deceleration (quick stop) to avoid impact; and he crossed approximately 100 ft in front of us continuing flying 'slalom' on a route that does not allow so -- you are supposed to fly a straight line. Everybody behind me also slowed down; and we increased separation to approximately 1 NM to this guy who appeared to be on a rampage. At the next mandatory reporting point; he made a radio call; and when asked why he did not answer earlier; he stated that he had turned the volume down on his radio?! The grand canyon sfar area is a very busy airspace; and it is imperative that everybody follows the rules. I have flown in this environment almost 3 yrs; there has been a steady increase in traffic; and all operations have grown. Obviously; there are a lot of 'new guys' out there. Just looking at my own company; almost 70% of our pilots have been there less than 1 yr. All the other operators have similar statistics. One apparent result of this mass hiring and training of new pilots is that safety is reduced. I have never seen as many pilot errors; inadvertent and unfortunately also deliberate violations of the regulations on a regular basis before. There are incidents almost on a daily basis. Since the operators mainly focus on the profit rather than safety; the only solution -- as I see it -- is that the FAA needs to be more active. They need to evaluate the training being conducted; and also enforce the regulations that exist currently; they mostly conduct ramp checks; while the flight portion appears to be unmonitored. It is also scary to see that when one operator terminates a pilot for being unsafe; the very same pilot just walks over to the next operator and gets hired. My lesson from this close encounter is: trust no one; assume nothing; and stay as far away from everybody else as possible!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI OPERATOR IN GRAND CANYON EXPERIENCES NMAC WITH HELI FAILING TO FOLLOW SFAR OPERATIONAL PROCS.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A TOUR TO THE GRAND CANYON. WE LEFT LAS VEGAS IN AN EC130. AT APPROX XA50 WE WERE APCHING THE ENTRANCE TO THE GREEN 4 HELI RTE LOCATED INSIDE THE GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK SFAR AREA. WE WERE CLBING UP TO 5000 FT MSL ON AN EBOUND HDG WHEN I OBSERVED ANOTHER HELI S OF MY POS. WE WERE CATCHING UP ON THEM; AND I TRIED TO CALL THEM UP ON THE RADIO. THEY DID NOT ANSWER AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS; AND I DECIDED TO SLOW DOWN AND FOLLOW THEM. I MADE A RADIO CALL TO ENTER THE GREEN 4 RTE. THE OTHER HELI NEVER MADE THE RADIO CALL; WHICH IS REQUIRED BY THE SFR. I POSITIONED MYSELF WITH THE OTHER ACFT AT MY 2 O'CLOCK POS AND 1/4 - 1/2 NM SEPARATION. BEHIND ME AT MY 4-5 O'CLOCK POS WAS ANOTHER HELI WITH SIMILAR SEPARATION; AND BEHIND HIM WAS ANOTHER. IT IS A VERY BUSY AIRSPACE. I MADE SEVERAL MORE ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THIS GUY ON THE RADIO -- STILL NO ANSWER. ALL OF A SUDDEN HE INITIATES A VERY ABRUPT AND AGGRESSIVE L TURN; BRINGING HIM ON COLLISION COURSE WITH US. I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A RAPID DECELERATION (QUICK STOP) TO AVOID IMPACT; AND HE CROSSED APPROX 100 FT IN FRONT OF US CONTINUING FLYING 'SLALOM' ON A RTE THAT DOES NOT ALLOW SO -- YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO FLY A STRAIGHT LINE. EVERYBODY BEHIND ME ALSO SLOWED DOWN; AND WE INCREASED SEPARATION TO APPROX 1 NM TO THIS GUY WHO APPEARED TO BE ON A RAMPAGE. AT THE NEXT MANDATORY RPTING POINT; HE MADE A RADIO CALL; AND WHEN ASKED WHY HE DID NOT ANSWER EARLIER; HE STATED THAT HE HAD TURNED THE VOLUME DOWN ON HIS RADIO?! THE GRAND CANYON SFAR AREA IS A VERY BUSY AIRSPACE; AND IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT EVERYBODY FOLLOWS THE RULES. I HAVE FLOWN IN THIS ENVIRONMENT ALMOST 3 YRS; THERE HAS BEEN A STEADY INCREASE IN TFC; AND ALL OPS HAVE GROWN. OBVIOUSLY; THERE ARE A LOT OF 'NEW GUYS' OUT THERE. JUST LOOKING AT MY OWN COMPANY; ALMOST 70% OF OUR PLTS HAVE BEEN THERE LESS THAN 1 YR. ALL THE OTHER OPERATORS HAVE SIMILAR STATISTICS. ONE APPARENT RESULT OF THIS MASS HIRING AND TRAINING OF NEW PLTS IS THAT SAFETY IS REDUCED. I HAVE NEVER SEEN AS MANY PLT ERRORS; INADVERTENT AND UNFORTUNATELY ALSO DELIBERATE VIOLATIONS OF THE REGS ON A REGULAR BASIS BEFORE. THERE ARE INCIDENTS ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS. SINCE THE OPERATORS MAINLY FOCUS ON THE PROFIT RATHER THAN SAFETY; THE ONLY SOLUTION -- AS I SEE IT -- IS THAT THE FAA NEEDS TO BE MORE ACTIVE. THEY NEED TO EVALUATE THE TRAINING BEING CONDUCTED; AND ALSO ENFORCE THE REGS THAT EXIST CURRENTLY; THEY MOSTLY CONDUCT RAMP CHKS; WHILE THE FLT PORTION APPEARS TO BE UNMONITORED. IT IS ALSO SCARY TO SEE THAT WHEN ONE OPERATOR TERMINATES A PLT FOR BEING UNSAFE; THE VERY SAME PLT JUST WALKS OVER TO THE NEXT OPERATOR AND GETS HIRED. MY LESSON FROM THIS CLOSE ENCOUNTER IS: TRUST NO ONE; ASSUME NOTHING; AND STAY AS FAR AWAY FROM EVERYBODY ELSE AS POSSIBLE!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.