Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 193; Flight Crew Total 1120; Flight Crew Type 643
Conflict NMAC
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
I was flying along the shoreline from Malibu into Santa Monica on a sightseeing tour with two passengers aboard. I had just received transition clearance from Topanga Beach down to the Santa Monica Pier; at which point I would be turning NE toward UCLA. Just SE of the Getty Villa; I saw what appeared to be a seagull and made an evasive maneuver to miss it; as it was heading directly toward the aircraft I was piloting. As it passed just below me off my left; I saw clearly what was a white DJi Phantom Quadcopter. I've seen them before; but had only notified tower; this was before I was aware of this reporting site. I immediately notified SMO Tower and they immediately contacted police units to check it out. I'm not sure if anything came about from it. I also warned several other pilots throughout the day to be on the lookout; not just for that area; but anywhere.
R44 pilot northwest of SMO at 800 feet experienced a NMAC with a drone and took evasive action.