Narrative:

I was flying sbound; new jersey side of hudson river on sight-seeing flight to statue of liberty with 2 passenger. My speed was approximately 130 KTS and my altitude was 800 ft. I had on my strobes; position lights; rotating beacon and landing light. I self-announced before the george washington bridge; after the gwb and at the 79TH street boat basin. There was communication self-announce from sight-seeing helicopters taking off from the heliport south of the intrepid. The helicopter pilots were also talking about someone who had not yet arrived. Just south of the intrepid I passed a helicopter at my altitude which was pointed west but traveling south slowly sideways. Someone in a helicopter was talking on the communication about a door problem and I assumed it was that helicopter. Less than a min later; after the operator with the door problem stopped talking I self announced as 'hudson traffic; mooney; last building; new jersey side 800 ft headed for the statue circling clockwise.' a helicopter pilot immediately came on the air and said I had passed less than 50 ft overhead. My passenger nor I saw this other helicopter that I passed over. As I circled the statue I only saw 1 helicopter come to the statue and begin circling. I never saw another helicopter and neither did my passenger. So; I don't really know. I did watch carefully the helicopter I passed and it in no way conflicted with my flight nor I with it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MOONEY M20 PLT HAS NMAC WHILE IN CRUISE.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING SBOUND; NEW JERSEY SIDE OF HUDSON RIVER ON SIGHT-SEEING FLT TO STATUE OF LIBERTY WITH 2 PAX. MY SPD WAS APPROX 130 KTS AND MY ALT WAS 800 FT. I HAD ON MY STROBES; POS LIGHTS; ROTATING BEACON AND LNDG LIGHT. I SELF-ANNOUNCED BEFORE THE GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE; AFTER THE GWB AND AT THE 79TH STREET BOAT BASIN. THERE WAS COM SELF-ANNOUNCE FROM SIGHT-SEEING HELIS TAKING OFF FROM THE HELIPORT S OF THE INTREPID. THE HELI PLTS WERE ALSO TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE WHO HAD NOT YET ARRIVED. JUST S OF THE INTREPID I PASSED A HELI AT MY ALT WHICH WAS POINTED W BUT TRAVELING S SLOWLY SIDEWAYS. SOMEONE IN A HELI WAS TALKING ON THE COM ABOUT A DOOR PROB AND I ASSUMED IT WAS THAT HELI. LESS THAN A MIN LATER; AFTER THE OPERATOR WITH THE DOOR PROB STOPPED TALKING I SELF ANNOUNCED AS 'HUDSON TFC; MOONEY; LAST BUILDING; NEW JERSEY SIDE 800 FT HEADED FOR THE STATUE CIRCLING CLOCKWISE.' A HELI PLT IMMEDIATELY CAME ON THE AIR AND SAID I HAD PASSED LESS THAN 50 FT OVERHEAD. MY PAX NOR I SAW THIS OTHER HELI THAT I PASSED OVER. AS I CIRCLED THE STATUE I ONLY SAW 1 HELI COME TO THE STATUE AND BEGIN CIRCLING. I NEVER SAW ANOTHER HELI AND NEITHER DID MY PAX. SO; I DON'T REALLY KNOW. I DID WATCH CAREFULLY THE HELI I PASSED AND IT IN NO WAY CONFLICTED WITH MY FLT NOR I WITH IT.

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.