Officials Demand Change

It was just the sort of near-accident that would make almost any experienced pilot wish for a case of adult diapers. A helicopter flying over the San Diego Freeway in Los Angeles was out of position according to controllers at LAX. The pilot had wandered into the approach path of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737. The two aircraft came within 400 vertical feet and .25 horizontal miles of colliding when a controller spotted the conflict at the last second and successfully separated the two. It was indeed a near-tragedy and it's now prompted the FAA to make some changes in air traffic management around LAX.

ATC managers logged the incident as pilot error. Still, they said the controllers performance was less than optimal. At one point, they say the unnamed controller actually lost track of the helo.

"It was clearly a pilot error but it was not caught until the last minute," assistant ATC manager Frank Sweeney told the Professional Helicopter Pilots Association meeting in Los Angeles Wednesday night. Sweeney was quoted in the LA Daily Breeze.

Given the huge amount of helicopter traffic in and around the LA Basin, LAX generally operates a position dedicated to helo traffic. That position was indeed manned at the time of the near-miss.

While the FAA was less than enthusiastic about the performance of the controller at that position, NATCA (the controllers' union) nominated him for an award, citing his quick action in averting the accident.

"Were it not for the exemplary performance by our helicopter controller we would likely be discussing a tragic accident instead of an FAA cover-up," said LAX NATCA rep Mike Foote, also quoted in the Breeze.

The pilot of the helicopter was reportedly told not to discuss the incident. ATC tapes indicate he became disoriented shortly after departing on a trip from Torrence to Santa Monica Airport. He apparently didn't hear or didn't comprehend controller instructions. Then he was heard to indicate he was above the San Diego Freeway with instructions not to exceed 900 feet AGL when he thought he was following the Harbor Freeway.

"Where are you now, sir?" the controller asked, as heard by the Breeze on the ATC tape.

"I'm on the 405 Freeway just north of the north (runway) complex," the pilot replied.

Wrong. At that point, the controller advised the helo pilot to descend immediately to 500 feet and turn left.

"That's a big mistake because you're in the (final approach path) now," the controller told him.

The pilot said, "I'm sorry. I sure didn't mean that."

New Procedure

Next month, Sweeney said the LAX Tower will assign transponder IDs to helicopters -- something they haven't always done in the past because of the extra work it creates for ATC staffers. Virtually every helicopter flying through the LAX Class B airspace will be affected.

FMI: www.fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/usmap.jsp