LAPD chopper and Navy helicopter nearly collide: ‘You guys gotta pay attention’

An LAPD helicopter and Navy helicopter nearly collided in the skies over Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon, according to reports.​The incident unfolded at around 2 p.m. near Echo Park, while a police helicopter continued to circle as it responded to a call in the area. The LAPD told KTLA that the aircraft received an air traffic alert and soon saw an approaching Navy Sikorsky MH-60 Seahawk helicopter.​In audio obtained by CBS LA, crew on the LAPD helicopter can be heard advising other aircraft of their position via a common aviation frequency.​“You guys just pushed me out of a spot. I got a suspect hiding,” the LAPD pilot can be heard saying. “You guys got to pay attention, man. That’s ridiculous.”​“Gonna ram me over, dude,” the pilot adds.An LAPD helicopter nearly collided with a Navy helicopter on Tuesday in the skies of Los Angeles (stock picture) (AFP/Getty)​No injuries have been reported in relation to the incident.​The Independent has contacted both the LAPD and the U.S. Navy for comment.​Police confirmed to KTLA that their helicopter was forced to change position during the incident and that it did not receive a response over a common aviation frequency when it tried to contact the military aircraft.​“When the military helicopter did not respond on that frequency, the LAPD airship, out of an abundance of caution, changed its flight profile,” the department said. “After the military helicopter passed, the LAPD airship resumed its orbit.”​However, the Navy says that it was conducting a training exercise with the LAPD on Tuesday and that it was communicating over the relevant frequencies.​“U.S. Navy helicopters were conducting a training exercise with the U.S. Coast Guard and Los Angeles Police Department on Nov. 3,” a Navy spokesperson told NBC4. “Training exercises such as these increase our collective proficiency and interagency work.”The LAPD says that their helicopter was forced to move out of its position when the Navy helicopter moved towards them, police say. This image shows the flight path of the two helicopters (ADS-B Exchange)​“During the exercise, the Navy aircrew were monitoring and communicating on required radio frequencies,” the spokesperson continued. “We are committed to operating safely with our partners.”​The Independent has contacted the U.S. Coast Guard for further comment.​The incident unfolded less than two months after a tragic helicopter crash in the San Fernando Valley when an aircraft covering a traffic collision fell to the ground, killing pilot George Marciniw, reporter Eliana Moreno, and a person on the ground.​The helicopter was operated by Angel City Air and provided coverage for NBC4 Los Angeles and Telemundo 52.Also, the incident occurred less than a mile from the site of an August 1966 collision involving an LAPD helicopter and a KMPC helicopter near Dodger Stadium.The incident led to the creation of the Professional Helicopter Pilots Association, which was established to keep pilots and aircrew safe. The organization has since been renamed the Southern California Rotorcraft Association.