Narrative:

On 7/mon/89 while at work at xx:20 mlt, I was dispatched to test fly and 'break in' a customer's small aircraft, which had a factory engine installed by maintenance. I departed cpr at xx:52 local and proceeded to an area about 10 mi southeast of the airport. I leveled off at 7200' MSL for a period of 5 mins over the vicinity of my residence executing 30-45 degree bank turns while at that altitude. After that amount of time while executing these turns and normal flying, it would be required to climb to an altitude to approximately 11000' MSL for further engine routine break-in. Climbing through approximately 9000' MSL, I contacted cpr radar in 120.65 to notify them of my intentions of continuing my circling at VFR altitudes of 10500' MSL to 11000' in that same general area. A squawk code of 0234 (I believe) was assigned, and the approach controller noted while radar identing me he had received numerous calls (phone) from the city's residents of a low flying aircraft, and I had told him it sure was not us. While climbing up to 11000' MSL to relevel again for about 40 mins of level flight, while at that altitude of 11000' MSL the ATC controller was now asking at what altitude I would level at, and I replied between 10500 and 11000' MSL. So, after that I stayed aloft in that area for approximately 40 mins, while toward the end of the flight headed back toward the airport and proceeded to land normally on runway 26 at cpr. While arriving at line service, I was met by first, a maintenance mechanic to ask me how it went and I replied, 'fine/a-ok!' then, exiting the aircraft I was met by local sheriff's personnel and I was asked if I was low level flying over town, and that they've received numerous calls of a noisy low flying aircraft. I said to them that I was in the area doing an engine break-in officially here at FBO as part of my duties, but at the altitudes I was at, I don't think it constituted low level flying. He said fine and thanked me for my time and he asked for and wrote down my name before he left. Walking toward the office of work, an FAA inspector met me halfway and said he had reports of low flying aircraft, and I proceeded to tell the FAA the same thing. Excused from the FAA office, the FAA inspector said he would look into and inquire about my alleged low altitude fling, and research the facts of people talking to the FAA bout this incident. My solution to alleviate similar events in the future is to not proceed with with high power engine checks near and around congested city areas where noisy engines could affect a quiet bedroom community not used to noisy aircraft doing moderate to steep turns over their houses at or approximately 1500 to 2000' AGL.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA MADE NUMEROUS 360 DEGREE TURNS OVER HIS HOUSE AT APPROX 7200' MSL (1000' AGL). NUMEROUS NOISE COMPLAINTS WERE REGISTERED WITH OFFICIALS.

Narrative: ON 7/MON/89 WHILE AT WORK AT XX:20 MLT, I WAS DISPATCHED TO TEST FLY AND 'BREAK IN' A CUSTOMER'S SMA, WHICH HAD A FACTORY ENG INSTALLED BY MAINT. I DEPARTED CPR AT XX:52 LCL AND PROCEEDED TO AN AREA ABOUT 10 MI SE OF THE ARPT. I LEVELED OFF AT 7200' MSL FOR A PERIOD OF 5 MINS OVER THE VICINITY OF MY RESIDENCE EXECUTING 30-45 DEG BANK TURNS WHILE AT THAT ALT. AFTER THAT AMOUNT OF TIME WHILE EXECUTING THESE TURNS AND NORMAL FLYING, IT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO CLB TO AN ALT TO APPROX 11000' MSL FOR FURTHER ENG ROUTINE BREAK-IN. CLBING THROUGH APPROX 9000' MSL, I CONTACTED CPR RADAR IN 120.65 TO NOTIFY THEM OF MY INTENTIONS OF CONTINUING MY CIRCLING AT VFR ALTS OF 10500' MSL TO 11000' IN THAT SAME GENERAL AREA. A SQUAWK CODE OF 0234 (I BELIEVE) WAS ASSIGNED, AND THE APCH CTLR NOTED WHILE RADAR IDENTING ME HE HAD RECEIVED NUMEROUS CALLS (PHONE) FROM THE CITY'S RESIDENTS OF A LOW FLYING ACFT, AND I HAD TOLD HIM IT SURE WAS NOT US. WHILE CLBING UP TO 11000' MSL TO RELEVEL AGAIN FOR ABOUT 40 MINS OF LEVEL FLT, WHILE AT THAT ALT OF 11000' MSL THE ATC CTLR WAS NOW ASKING AT WHAT ALT I WOULD LEVEL AT, AND I REPLIED BTWN 10500 AND 11000' MSL. SO, AFTER THAT I STAYED ALOFT IN THAT AREA FOR APPROX 40 MINS, WHILE TOWARD THE END OF THE FLT HEADED BACK TOWARD THE ARPT AND PROCEEDED TO LAND NORMALLY ON RWY 26 AT CPR. WHILE ARRIVING AT LINE SVC, I WAS MET BY FIRST, A MAINT MECH TO ASK ME HOW IT WENT AND I REPLIED, 'FINE/A-OK!' THEN, EXITING THE ACFT I WAS MET BY LCL SHERIFF'S PERSONNEL AND I WAS ASKED IF I WAS LOW LEVEL FLYING OVER TOWN, AND THAT THEY'VE RECEIVED NUMEROUS CALLS OF A NOISY LOW FLYING ACFT. I SAID TO THEM THAT I WAS IN THE AREA DOING AN ENG BREAK-IN OFFICIALLY HERE AT FBO AS PART OF MY DUTIES, BUT AT THE ALTS I WAS AT, I DON'T THINK IT CONSTITUTED LOW LEVEL FLYING. HE SAID FINE AND THANKED ME FOR MY TIME AND HE ASKED FOR AND WROTE DOWN MY NAME BEFORE HE LEFT. WALKING TOWARD THE OFFICE OF WORK, AN FAA INSPECTOR MET ME HALFWAY AND SAID HE HAD RPTS OF LOW FLYING ACFT, AND I PROCEEDED TO TELL THE FAA THE SAME THING. EXCUSED FROM THE FAA OFFICE, THE FAA INSPECTOR SAID HE WOULD LOOK INTO AND INQUIRE ABOUT MY ALLEGED LOW ALT FLING, AND RESEARCH THE FACTS OF PEOPLE TALKING TO THE FAA BOUT THIS INCIDENT. MY SOLUTION TO ALLEVIATE SIMILAR EVENTS IN THE FUTURE IS TO NOT PROCEED WITH WITH HIGH PWR ENG CHKS NEAR AND AROUND CONGESTED CITY AREAS WHERE NOISY ENGS COULD AFFECT A QUIET BEDROOM COMMUNITY NOT USED TO NOISY ACFT DOING MODERATE TO STEEP TURNS OVER THEIR HOUSES AT OR APPROX 1500 TO 2000' AGL.

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.