A POLICE HELI PLT IN A H58 RPTS THAT HE HAD AN NMAC WITH A COMMERCIAL H58 HELI WHILE ON PATROL.

Narrative

ON NOV/XA/97 AT APPROX XL50 I WAS OPERATING A DEPARTMENTAL HELI IN THE VICINITY OF ROOSEVELT FIELD; EAST GARDEN CITY. 2 OTHER POLICE OFFICERS WERE ON BOARD AND ACTING AS OBSERVERS. AT THE ABOVE TIME AND PLACE OF OCCURRENCE AT APPROX 700 FT ALT AND TRAVELING IN A SE DIRECTION; I OBSERVED; THROUGH MY PERIPHERAL VISION; A BRIGHT LIGHT APCHING RAPIDLY FROM R REAR OF MY HELI. ALTHOUGH I DID NOT IDENT THE LIGHT; I FELT THAT A COLLISION WAS IMMINENT AND I IMMEDIATELY REDUCED PWR AND DOVE THE HELI TO A LOWER ALT. AS I PERFORMED THIS EVASIVE MANEUVER; I OBSERVED A HELI PASS DIRECTLY OVERHEAD; NO MORE THAN 15 FT ABOVE THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES OF MY HELI. AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT; THE AIRSPD OF MY HELI WAS BTWN 90-100 MPH; AS WAS THE SPD OF THE OTHER HELI. I IMMEDIATELY RADIOED REPUBLIC ARPT TWR TO ASCERTAIN IF THEY WERE AWARE OF ANOTHER HELI IN THE AREA. THEY ADVISED ME THAT A COMMERCIAL HELI WAS IN THAT VICINITY AND INBOUND TO REPUBLIC. I THEN PROCEEDED TO FOLLOW THE HELI TO ITS HOME BASE AT REPUBLIC. I SPOKE WITH THE PLT OF THE OTHER HELI. HE ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD BEEN INBOUND TO REPUBLIC ARPT FROM KENNEDY ARPT AND DID NOT SEE ME UNTIL I WAS DIVING OUT OF HIS WAY. THE PLT WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT OF THE COMMERCIAL HELI. I VERIFIED HIS VALID PLT'S LICENSE AND RETURNED TO BETHPAGE. ON NOV/XB/97 I SPOKE WITH THE SAFETY OFFICER FOR THE COMMERCIAL HELI COMPANY. HE ADVISED ME THAT THE PLT OF THE OTHER HELI HAD BEEN FLYING FROM XA00 UNTIL XM00 ON THE DATE OF THE INCIDENT (APPROX 12 HRS) WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE SAFETY OFFICER ALSO ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD THE PLT FILE A WRITTEN RPT WITH THE COMMERCIAL HELI COMPANY. MY INITIAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE INCIDENT SHOWS A POSSIBLE CAUSE FOR THE PLT'S FAILING TO SEE MY HELI WAS BOTH PLT FATIGUE AND PREOCCUPATION WITH PERFORMING FLT AND COM FUNCTIONS WITHOUT COPLT ASSISTANCE. NO FURTHER INVESTIGATION WILL BE CONDUCTED AT THIS TIME.