Helicopter Pilot Makes Emergency Landing

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an incident between an advertising balloon and a police helicopter in Honolulu on November 12, in Hawaii.

A local store called Savers Thrift Store flew a large red balloon tethered to a light pole outside its Waipahu store, last week as it often does this to advertise a sale.

But on Monday, the ad became a dangerous obstacle for one of the Honolulu Police Department's helicopters. The officers on board were helping police on the ground catch a suspected thief when the chopper flew too close to the balloon, and severed the rope attached to it. Part of the rope got sucked into the tail assembly, damaging the tail and part of the fuselage, according to a KGMB Channel 9 report.

The chopper made an emergency landing at the police academy about a mile away. It was later able to fly back to a hangar off Lagoon Drive, waiting to be repaired.

"I definitely would characterize this as a rare event," said FAA spokesperson Ian Gregor, on the phone from California. FAA regulations state, a tethered balloon cannot fly higher than 500 feet and it cannot fly within five miles of any airport. Savers store said the balloon was no more than 200 feet up.

"The helicopter pilot told us that he hit the rope at an altitude of between 300 and 400 feet," Gregor said.

FAA regulations also stipulate that anyone wanting to fly a tethered balloon more than 150 feet must notify the closest FAA air traffic facility; in this case, the one at the Honolulu International Airport.

"I spoke with our people at the Honolulu facility," Gregor said.

"They do not have any report from anyone wanting to fly a balloon in this area."

The FAA is investigating whether any regulations were violated.

FMI: www.honolulupd.org/, www.faa.gov