Helicopter flight reported an NMAC with a UAS after takeoff. The UAS pilot announced position of the UAS on CTAF shortly before the NMAC occurred.

Date: 2026-02 · Aircraft: Bell Helicopter 407 · Phase: takeoff

Anomalies: conflict-nmac

Synopsis

Helicopter flight reported an NMAC with a UAS after takeoff. The UAS pilot announced position of the UAS on CTAF shortly before the NMAC occurred.

Narrative

For a little history; the day prior to this occur occurrence I had operated ZZZ Airport and the drone operator had been making position reports as stated in the NOTAM. The day of this occurrence I had finished a survey line very near ZZZ; while listening to the common traffic advisory frequency there were multiple aircraft doing touch and goes. At no point in the approximately 20 minutes of finishing my survey line and making a landing into ZZZ; Did I hear communications from an active drone. After startup; I had made a radio call with intentions to depart north directly across the runway for a north west departure. Having flown in no less than 15 minutes before; and Not hearing any transmissions from drone operator during my Approach and landing with multiple other fixed wing activities; doing touch and goes on the runway I assumed drone activities had ceased for the day. (This was my mistake)Seeing multiple fixed wing doing touch and go; I planned to depart north west across the runway in order to avoid the fixed wing flow of traffic. I paused while facing a runway to assess timing to make my departure safely with the least amount of impact to the fixing flow. Taking off I've put in a high Power setting and a climb rate to get to 500 feet below the fixing flow of traffic during initial departure.About a quarter mile north of the runway; a flustered voice came on the radio and announced drone operations 400 feet and below north of the runway. Scanning left and right I found the drone. Less than 300 feet off my left wing heading directly towards me at a luckily Slow rate of speed; Was a large twin fuselage glider shaped drone. The drone left my field of view rather quickly. I would assume it was within 200 feet heading directly towards the air aircraft when I passed.I keyed up the CTAF And said 'well that was close; perhaps you should keep your radio closer to you'.To summarize; although I should have avoided the area stated by the NOTAM altogether; and that is my mistake; I was lured into a false sense of confidence by the reliability of the drone operators radio position reports the day before. I will not trust that a drone operator will make position reports in the future.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.