PLT OF AN AERIAL PHOTO FLT HELI DROPPED OFF THE PHOTOGRAPHER AT THE WORK SITE WHEN THE HELI ACFT WAS NOT CERTIFIED UNDER PART 135.

1995-08 · NASA ASRS report 313608

Date: 1995-08 · Aircraft: Helicopter

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-unspecified

Synopsis

PLT OF AN AERIAL PHOTO FLT HELI DROPPED OFF THE PHOTOGRAPHER AT THE WORK SITE WHEN THE HELI ACFT WAS NOT CERTIFIED UNDER PART 135.

Narrative

I WAS FLYING ON A LCL PHOTO FLT FOR A TV STATION. A POLICE OFFICER WAS SHOT DEAD ON A HWY AND WE WERE GETTING AERIAL PICTURES OF THE ENTIRE SCENE; INCLUDING TFC AND POSSIBLE SUSPECT VEHICLES. MY PHOTOGRAPHER AND I NEEDED TO LEAVE THE AREA TO GET FUEL AND THEN RETURN. HE ASKED IF I COULD DROP HIM OFF SO HE COULD GET A CLOSER LOOK WHILE I WENT TO GET GAS; THEN RETURN TO PICK HIM UP FOR MORE AERIALS. I DID SO. AFTER I COMPLETED THE FLT; MY BOSS QUESTIONED ME ON THE LNDG AND WHETHER THAT MADE THE FLT FAR 135 OR FAR 91. I BELIEVE THE WAY FAR 135.1 IS WRITTEN THAT PHOTO FLTS ARE PART 91 AND DON'T SPECIFICALLY SAY NO LNDGS; ETC. BUT ELECTED TO FILE THIS RPT JUST IN CASE THERE WAS ANY QUESTION OR COMPLAINTS BY OTHER OPERATORS OR PLTS. IN THE FUTURE; I SHOULD PROBABLY AVOID THIS 'GRAY' AREA OF THE REGS UNTIL I CAN GET PROPER INTERP FROM OUR LCL FAA/FSDO OFFICE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE STILL DID NOT KNOW IF THIS FLT WAS CONSIDERED A PART 135 FLT SINCE THE PHOTOGRAPHER WAS DROPPED OFF AT THE SCENE. HE SAID THAT THE OPERATOR HE WORKED FOR DID HAVE A PART 135 CERTIFICATE BUT DID NOT HAVE THE HELI HE WAS OPERATING ON THE 135 CERTIFICATE. THE FAR WAS REVIEWED WITH HIM WITH PARTICULAR ATTN DIRECTED TO THE CLARIFICATION SHOWN IN THE HELI ITEM UNDER FAR 135.1 (B); WHEREIN IT STATES THAT TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THE SITE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE EXCEPTION TO PART 135. THEREFORE; FOR THE REASON CITED BY THE RPTR THAT MAY ARISE DURING VARIOUS TYPES OF HELI WORK ACTIVITY; OPERATORS BECOME CERTIFICATED UNDER PART 135 SINCE THIS TYPE OF OP THEN BECOMES TRANSPORTATION FOR THE PERSONS 'DROPPED OFF' AT THE SITE. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT REALLY HAVE TO DROP OFF THE PHOTO PERSON AND HE THEREFORE; CONSIDERED IT A STUPID ACT!

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

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