Narrative:

On flight from avl to montgomery air park in maryland, made a normal 45 degree entry into traffic pattern. On turning base the routine approach was interrupted by an unidentified inquiry on unicom asking aircraft at montgomery to say full call number. Reporter responded and asked if a conflict existed. Response was 'this is FAA baltimore office'. Then reporter was informed he was flying below minima over housing. Further discussion occurred and reporter was told to wait for FAA inspector at approach end of runway 14 in about half an hour. Reporter discovered he had cut his right thumb while dealing with all this distraction. FAA inspector arrived dressed in bermuda shorts, knit shirt and carrying a hand held transceiver. Allegation was that base leg was along a residential street 'one house height' above the rooftops and that the answer to radio call 'confirmed' the sighting. FAA inspector checked all certificates, medical, aircraft registration and aircraft annual, all were in order. Reporter was informed of procedures in alleged violation, of the lengthy time frame of 'investigation' being initiated by FAA inspector and that FAA attorneys would probably be involved in the certificate action. Reporter protested vigorously that he was innocent and had complied with published procedures. Passenger also stated that aircraft was nowhere near housing. FAA inspector did not really listen to explanation, his mind was made up that reporter was the violator. When reporter mentioned cut thumb, FAA inspector dismissed problem with comment that his certificates indicate he should be able to handle aircraft while suffering such distrs. Reporter is commercial pilot, smel with instrument rating and instrument flight instructor. He had just completed an exhaustive instrument proficiency check 2 days before. Feels strongly that FAA inspector has taken an overly aggressive attitude and that enforcement procedures are capricious, unduly officious and heavy handed. These attitudes pose a clear and present danger to aviation safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT ON BASE LEG APCH AT UNCONTROLLED ARPT. CALL ON UNICOM REQUESTING CALL SIGN, WHICH WAS GIVEN. AS PLT CONTINUED APCH FAA INSPECTOR ACCUSED HIM, ON AIR, OF FLYING BELOW MINIMA OVER HOUSES AND TOLD HIM TO WAIT AT ARPT.

Narrative: ON FLT FROM AVL TO MONTGOMERY AIR PARK IN MARYLAND, MADE A NORMAL 45 DEG ENTRY INTO TFC PATTERN. ON TURNING BASE THE ROUTINE APCH WAS INTERRUPTED BY AN UNIDENTIFIED INQUIRY ON UNICOM ASKING ACFT AT MONTGOMERY TO SAY FULL CALL NUMBER. REPORTER RESPONDED AND ASKED IF A CONFLICT EXISTED. RESPONSE WAS 'THIS IS FAA BALTIMORE OFFICE'. THEN REPORTER WAS INFORMED HE WAS FLYING BELOW MINIMA OVER HOUSING. FURTHER DISCUSSION OCCURRED AND REPORTER WAS TOLD TO WAIT FOR FAA INSPECTOR AT APCH END OF RWY 14 IN ABOUT HALF AN HOUR. REPORTER DISCOVERED HE HAD CUT HIS RIGHT THUMB WHILE DEALING WITH ALL THIS DISTR. FAA INSPECTOR ARRIVED DRESSED IN BERMUDA SHORTS, KNIT SHIRT AND CARRYING A HAND HELD TRANSCEIVER. ALLEGATION WAS THAT BASE LEG WAS ALONG A RESIDENTIAL STREET 'ONE HOUSE HEIGHT' ABOVE THE ROOFTOPS AND THAT THE ANSWER TO RADIO CALL 'CONFIRMED' THE SIGHTING. FAA INSPECTOR CHECKED ALL CERTIFICATES, MEDICAL, ACFT REGISTRATION AND ACFT ANNUAL, ALL WERE IN ORDER. REPORTER WAS INFORMED OF PROCS IN ALLEGED VIOLATION, OF THE LENGTHY TIME FRAME OF 'INVESTIGATION' BEING INITIATED BY FAA INSPECTOR AND THAT FAA ATTORNEYS WOULD PROBABLY BE INVOLVED IN THE CERTIFICATE ACTION. REPORTER PROTESTED VIGOROUSLY THAT HE WAS INNOCENT AND HAD COMPLIED WITH PUBLISHED PROCS. PAX ALSO STATED THAT ACFT WAS NOWHERE NEAR HOUSING. FAA INSPECTOR DID NOT REALLY LISTEN TO EXPLANATION, HIS MIND WAS MADE UP THAT REPORTER WAS THE VIOLATOR. WHEN REPORTER MENTIONED CUT THUMB, FAA INSPECTOR DISMISSED PROBLEM WITH COMMENT THAT HIS CERTIFICATES INDICATE HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE ACFT WHILE SUFFERING SUCH DISTRS. REPORTER IS COMMERCIAL PLT, SMEL WITH INSTRUMENT RATING AND INSTRUMENT FLT INSTRUCTOR. HE HAD JUST COMPLETED AN EXHAUSTIVE INSTRUMENT PROFICIENCY CHECK 2 DAYS BEFORE. FEELS STRONGLY THAT FAA INSPECTOR HAS TAKEN AN OVERLY AGGRESSIVE ATTITUDE AND THAT ENFORCEMENT PROCS ARE CAPRICIOUS, UNDULY OFFICIOUS AND HEAVY HANDED. THESE ATTITUDES POSE A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO AVIATION SAFETY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.