AN SMT HELI ACFT HAD AN NMAC WITH AN SMA HELI ACFT WHILE IN VFR OUTSIDE OF A TCA.

Narrative

ON JUL/SAT/92; WHILE ENRTE FROM PRESCOTT TO SCOTTSDALE; AZ; THE HELI WHICH I WAS PLTING EXPERIENCED A NEAR MISS WITH A SMALL ACFT HELI. THE HELI THAT I WAS FLYING WAS AN SMT; TURBINE PWRED HELI. THE SMA ACFT; A SMALL PISTON PWRED HELI AND MUCH SMALLER AND SLOWER THAN THE SMT ACFT. WHILE DSNDING ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS INTO THE PHOENIX VALLEY; I SUDDENLY CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF THE SMA AS I WAS QUICKLY OVERTAKING THAT ACFT. IN ORDER TO AVOID A POSSIBLE MIDAIR; I MANEUVERED MY HELI TO THE R OF THE SMA AND PASSED THAT ACFT ON THE R SIDE OF THE SMA; WHILE CONTINUING MY DSCNT. ONCE I FELT THAT I ADEQUATELY PASSED THE SMA HELI; I RETURNED TO MY ORIGINAL HDG FOR SCOTTSDALE. THERE WERE NUMEROUS CLOUDS IN THE GENERAL AREA MAKING THE SMA DIFFICULT TO SEE. I DO NOT REMEMBER SEEING ANY ROTATING BEACON ON THE SMA. I KNOW THAT VFR FLT IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE IS A SEE AND AVOID SITUATION. THIS RPT IS INTENDED TO FILE A NEAR MISS AND REMIND HELI PLTS HOW HARD IT IS TO SEE OTHER ACFT WHILE OPERATING IN THE ABOVE DESCRIBED CONDITIONS.