R44 PLT QUESTIONS THE SAFETY OF A POLICE ACFT MAKING A TURN OVER HIS HELI APPARENTLY FOR IDENT PURPOSES.

Date: 2004-09 · Aircraft: Robinson R44 · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: conflict-nmac

Synopsis

R44 PLT QUESTIONS THE SAFETY OF A POLICE ACFT MAKING A TURN OVER HIS HELI APPARENTLY FOR IDENT PURPOSES.

Narrative

WHILE IN 60 KT CRUISE OVER A RIVER AND SURROUNDING WETLANDS I WAS HEADED N. AT THIS TIME I WAS AT APPROX 200 FT AGL. I THEN NOTICED THE CESSNA INBOUND; TO MY R; STILL A MI OUT; BUT AT APPROX 500 FT AGL AND HEADED TO INTERSECT MY FORWARD PATH. I EXECUTED A SLOW STOP AS AN AVOIDANCE PROC AND BROUGHT THE HELI TO AN OUT-OF-GND-EFFECT HOVER WHILE REDUCING MY ALT TO ABOUT 100 FT AGL. THE CESSNA PASSED DIRECTLY TO MY 12 O'CLOCK POS APPROX 200 FT ABOVE. THE CESSNA THEN MADE A TIGHT 270 DEG TURN-ABOUT-A-POINT (IN THIS CASE A TURN-ABOUT-A HOVERING HELI) WITH BANK ANGLES CLRLY IN EXCESS OF 45 DEGS AS IT ORBITED MY HELI. ALREADY IN A HOVER I COMPLETED A 270 DEG PEDAL-TURN AND VISUALLY FOLLOWED THE CESSNA AROUND UNTIL IT BROKE OFF AND FLEW AWAY. IF EITHER OF US HAD LOST VISUAL CONTACT AND INCORRECTLY GUESSED THE OTHER'S INTENTIONS A MIDAIR COLLISION MIGHT HAVE OCCURRED. I DON'T THINK THIS REPRESENTS AN NMAC; HOWEVER; AS I MAINTAINED STRICT VISUAL SEPARATION FROM THIS ACFT; THE CESSNA PLT INTENTIONALLY 'BUZZED' ANOTHER ACFT. MOMENTS LATER I ATTEMPTED TO REACH THE CESSNA ON C122.8 FREQ; THIS TIME WITH SUCCESS. THE PLT IDENTED THEIR REGISTRATION NUMBER AND INDICATED THAT THEY WERE STATE POLICE ENGAGED IN AN OP. THIS OP WAS MI AWAY FROM MY FLT PATH WHEN THE TURN-ABOUT-A-HELI OCCURRED AND THE CESSNA SUBSEQUENTLY RETURNED TO WHERE THEIR ACTIVITY WAS TAKING PLACE.

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