Pilot of light aircraft lands on dry river bed to drop off passenger. Comes too close to houses.

Attributes
ACN	128570
Time
Date	198911
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : abq
State Reference	NM
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 0
ASRS Report	128570
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was being taken home from a weekend outing. I had no car at the nearest airport which was approximately 10 mi away. Pilot elected to land in a dry river bed outside a housing development where I live (housing area borders desert). Normal approach to a landing brought us over housing area by 1000' AGL. Landing was uneventful and so was his takeoff after dropping me off. Occurrence apparently made some neighbors apprehensive, although nearest house was 400 yds. Some action to correct problem is to perhaps make approach away from houses so as to not worry neighbors. Decision to land off airport was not necessarily a bad decision as this pilot quite frequently makes landing in unimproved conditions due to some service he provides--so he was well aware of and planned his landing very thoroughly and carefully.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF LIGHT ACFT LANDS ON DRY RIVER BED TO DROP OFF PASSENGER. COMES TOO CLOSE TO HOUSES.

Narrative: I WAS BEING TAKEN HOME FROM A WEEKEND OUTING. I HAD NO CAR AT THE NEAREST ARPT WHICH WAS APPROX 10 MI AWAY. PLT ELECTED TO LAND IN A DRY RIVER BED OUTSIDE A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT WHERE I LIVE (HOUSING AREA BORDERS DESERT). NORMAL APCH TO A LNDG BROUGHT US OVER HOUSING AREA BY 1000' AGL. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND SO WAS HIS TKOF AFTER DROPPING ME OFF. OCCURRENCE APPARENTLY MADE SOME NEIGHBORS APPREHENSIVE, ALTHOUGH NEAREST HOUSE WAS 400 YDS. SOME ACTION TO CORRECT PROB IS TO PERHAPS MAKE APCH AWAY FROM HOUSES SO AS TO NOT WORRY NEIGHBORS. DECISION TO LAND OFF ARPT WAS NOT NECESSARILY A BAD DECISION AS THIS PLT QUITE FREQUENTLY MAKES LNDG IN UNIMPROVED CONDITIONS DUE TO SOME SVC HE PROVIDES--SO HE WAS WELL AWARE OF AND PLANNED HIS LNDG VERY THOROUGHLY AND CAREFULLY.

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.