Vintage small aircraft circling to photograph special interest activity on the ground is accused of ...

Attributes
ACN	142256
Time
Date	199004
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 3ip
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 1790 flight time type : 53
ASRS Report	142256
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other other

Narrative:

My friend who is a minister and is also a pilot phoned me and asked if I would take him to the areas of a new church so he could take some pictures of the ground breaking ceremonies. I agreed to do so. I checked the altimeter setting several times before takeoff so I was certain it was correct. As we approached the area, I checked the altimeter very, very frequently so as not to get lower than 1000' AGL. We were also watching for other aircraft because we felt there would be other aircraft in the area. We stayed to least 1-2 blocks from the area so he could take the pictures, and also did not want to disturb the ceremonies. After about 3 circuits around we headed back to the indep mem airport. There were about 25-30 mph winds out of the northwest, so our ground speed was about 30 mph on our upwind legs. This was when he could make his best pictures. After landing a police officer drove up and said he had received a call to find out who was flying a yellow aircraft because another officer had observed a yellow aircraft that he thought was flying too low, and he was going to file a complaint to the FAA. I explained our endeavors to the officer and assured him we were not flying too low. I am sure that they did file the complaint anyway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VINTAGE SMA CIRCLING TO PHOTOGRAPH SPECIAL INTEREST ACTIVITY ON THE GND IS ACCUSED OF FLYING TOO LOW.

Narrative: MY FRIEND WHO IS A MINISTER AND IS ALSO A PLT PHONED ME AND ASKED IF I WOULD TAKE HIM TO THE AREAS OF A NEW CHURCH SO HE COULD TAKE SOME PICTURES OF THE GND BREAKING CEREMONIES. I AGREED TO DO SO. I CHKED THE ALTIMETER SETTING SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE TKOF SO I WAS CERTAIN IT WAS CORRECT. AS WE APCHED THE AREA, I CHKED THE ALTIMETER VERY, VERY FREQUENTLY SO AS NOT TO GET LOWER THAN 1000' AGL. WE WERE ALSO WATCHING FOR OTHER ACFT BECAUSE WE FELT THERE WOULD BE OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA. WE STAYED TO LEAST 1-2 BLOCKS FROM THE AREA SO HE COULD TAKE THE PICTURES, AND ALSO DID NOT WANT TO DISTURB THE CEREMONIES. AFTER ABOUT 3 CIRCUITS AROUND WE HEADED BACK TO THE INDEP MEM ARPT. THERE WERE ABOUT 25-30 MPH WINDS OUT OF THE NW, SO OUR GND SPD WAS ABOUT 30 MPH ON OUR UPWIND LEGS. THIS WAS WHEN HE COULD MAKE HIS BEST PICTURES. AFTER LNDG A POLICE OFFICER DROVE UP AND SAID HE HAD RECEIVED A CALL TO FIND OUT WHO WAS FLYING A YELLOW ACFT BECAUSE ANOTHER OFFICER HAD OBSERVED A YELLOW ACFT THAT HE THOUGHT WAS FLYING TOO LOW, AND HE WAS GOING TO FILE A COMPLAINT TO THE FAA. I EXPLAINED OUR ENDEAVORS TO THE OFFICER AND ASSURED HIM WE WERE NOT FLYING TOO LOW. I AM SURE THAT THEY DID FILE THE COMPLAINT ANYWAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.

Vintage small aircraft circling to photograph special interest activity on the ground is accused of flying too low.