Narrative:

On 9/wed/88 I was working the east coordinator position in sac TRACON. At XA08Z executive tower advised me that a helicopter (small aircraft X) was departing and proceeding northeast bound towards mather AFB. I then got involved in a search for a flight plan for another aircraft at another airport. When I was able to return my attention back to what the radar controller was doing small aircraft X had entered into the mather AFB air traffic area. I called the tower to give them the information on the helicopter and the helicopter then contacted mather control tower. I few mins later MTR Y in the VFR pattern at mather reported taking evasive action to avoid a civilian helicopter. Mather tower maintains that due to the fact that we entered their air traffic area west/O permission they were unable to provide sep. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the followup investigation placed the responsibility for the possible system deviation on both the radar coordinator (reporter) and the radar controller. When the ntap from ZOA was received, it was learned that the helicopter did not actually enter the air traffic area before reporter told mhr tower about the aircraft. The near near midair collision occurred outside of and on the edge of the air traffic area. The incident is still classified as a deviation until the findings are examined by the regulation off and a determination is made to downgrade the incident to a non error incident. The reason why this got to the incident stage is the fact that the letter of agreement between sac tower, mcc TRACON and mhr tower specifies that mcc with be the controling facility in all interarpt flts and mcc is responsible to coordinate all the movements between airports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HELI APCHED AN ATA, UNDER THE CTL OF RADAR CTLR, AND COORD WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED IN A TIMELY MANNER. EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN BY MTR IN ATA.

Narrative: ON 9/WED/88 I WAS WORKING THE E COORDINATOR POS IN SAC TRACON. AT XA08Z EXECUTIVE TWR ADVISED ME THAT A HELI (SMA X) WAS DEPARTING AND PROCEEDING NE BOUND TOWARDS MATHER AFB. I THEN GOT INVOLVED IN A SEARCH FOR A FLT PLAN FOR ANOTHER ACFT AT ANOTHER ARPT. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO RETURN MY ATTN BACK TO WHAT THE RADAR CTLR WAS DOING SMA X HAD ENTERED INTO THE MATHER AFB ATA. I CALLED THE TWR TO GIVE THEM THE INFO ON THE HELI AND THE HELI THEN CONTACTED MATHER CTL TWR. I FEW MINS LATER MTR Y IN THE VFR PATTERN AT MATHER RPTED TAKING EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID A CIVILIAN HELI. MATHER TWR MAINTAINS THAT DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE ENTERED THEIR ATA W/O PERMISSION THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE SEP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE FOLLOWUP INVESTIGATION PLACED THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE POSSIBLE SYS DEVIATION ON BOTH THE RADAR COORDINATOR (RPTR) AND THE RADAR CTLR. WHEN THE NTAP FROM ZOA WAS RECEIVED, IT WAS LEARNED THAT THE HELI DID NOT ACTUALLY ENTER THE ATA BEFORE REPORTER TOLD MHR TWR ABOUT THE ACFT. THE NEAR NMAC OCCURRED OUTSIDE OF AND ON THE EDGE OF THE ATA. THE INCIDENT IS STILL CLASSIFIED AS A DEVIATION UNTIL THE FINDINGS ARE EXAMINED BY THE REG OFF AND A DETERMINATION IS MADE TO DOWNGRADE THE INCIDENT TO A NON ERROR INCIDENT. THE REASON WHY THIS GOT TO THE INCIDENT STAGE IS THE FACT THAT THE LETTER OF AGREEMENT BTWN SAC TWR, MCC TRACON AND MHR TWR SPECIFIES THAT MCC WITH BE THE CTLING FAC IN ALL INTERARPT FLTS AND MCC IS RESPONSIBLE TO COORDINATE ALL THE MOVEMENTS BTWN ARPTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.