LAPD helicopter pilot reports near-miss with military aircraft over Los Angeles

An LAPD helicopter pilot was forced to perform an evasive maneuver to avoid a potential mid-air collision with military aircraft over Los Angeles on Tuesday.

The Incident in Echo Park

The incident occurred while the LAPD's Air 3 helicopter was circling a call in Echo Park. According to LAPD Officer Eisenman, the crew received an alert regarding nearby aircraft and subsequently spotted a military helicopter approaching.

In an attempt to maintain safety, the police crew tried to contact the military pilots using a shared aviation radio frequency, but they received no response, according to Eisenman. Consequently, the LAPD pilot altered the helicopter's flight path as a precaution.

Footage aired by CBS Los Angeles showed two military helicopters flying over the 101 Freeway in Hollywood near the area where the LAPD aircraft was operating. Audio from the incident captured the LAPD pilot expressing frustration over the close proximity of the military aircraft.

"You guys just pushed me out of a spot. I got a suspect hiding. You guys got to pay attention, man. That's ridiculous," the LAPD pilot was heard saying in the audio. The pilot also stated, "Gonna ram me over, dude."

Military Response

Following the incident, Amelia Umayam, a U.S. Navy spokesperson, confirmed that the aircraft involved were U.S. Navy helicopters. Umayam stated that the helicopters were participating in a training exercise involving the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Los Angeles Police Department on Nov. 3.

Regarding the communication issues reported by the LAPD, Umayam stated, "During the exercise, the Navy aircrew were monitoring and communicating on required radio frequencies. We are committed to operating safely with our partners."

While pilots in the area are expected to broadcast their locations over a common radio frequency to ensure awareness of nearby air traffic, it remains unclear why the military aircraft did not respond to the LAPD pilot's transmissions or exactly how close the helicopters came to one another.

Why it matters

• Pilots operating in shared airspace are expected to broadcast locations over common radio frequencies to prevent collisions.
• The incident involved a multi-agency training exercise between the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and the LAPD.
• The LAPD pilot was forced to change the flight profile of Air 3 to avoid the approaching military aircraft.

---

Sources

• yahoo.com: LAPD chopper pilot fumes after avoiding mid-air disaster with military helicopters: ‘You guys need to pay attention’
• cbsnews.com: LAPD helicopter makes last-minute move to avoid mid-air collision with military aircraft - CBS Los Angeles

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.