Air ambulance pilot 'startled' by nearby plane

An air ambulance pilot was "startled" to see a plane flying unexpectedly close to their helicopter, a report said.

The event over St Albans in Hertfordshire on 6 October was assessed by the Airprox Board, which analyses incidents in UK airspace.

The East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) said its pilot "had no prior warning of the other aircraft due to its lack of electronic visibility".

The Airprox Board said it was "unfortunate" that despite extensive inquiries to nearby aerodromes, the plane's operator could not be traced. It concluded there was "no risk of collision, but that safety had been reduced".

The H145 pilot saw the light aircraft passing to the left side of the helicopter, approximately 250ft (76m) above and 250m (820ft) to the side, the report said.

The presence of the light aircraft was not picked up by either the Early Warning System (EWS) or the Collision Avoidance System on the helicopter, it added.

The untraced aircraft did not appear to have been equipped with a transponder or surveillance technology that would signal its presence.

The area was known for being a busy section of airspace, with several local airfields and farm strips.

"Therefore, it had been unfortunate that the light-aircraft had not been fitted with a transponder or any form of EWS or ADS-B equipment which could have alerted the H145 pilot (and other pilots) to its position," the board said.

Richard Hindson, director of operations and infrastructure at EAAA said: "The UK Airprox Board found there was no risk of collision and confirmed that the helicopter was operating appropriately, with all safety systems functioning as intended.

"Safety remains our absolute priority, and we continue to work with our aviation partners and regulators to improve visibility and situational awareness for all airspace users."

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