Narrative:

On 4/mon/90 after a day of taking aerial pictures while employed by an aerial photo company, I landed at the airport in frederick, md. Immediately after taxiing and turning the aircraft off, the state police helicopter landed and the pilot told me to get out of the aircraft. After explaining what I was doing he said ok, but a state police car was there to take me to the westminster police station where I was charged with flying too low. The officer said that on 4/fri, 4/sun and 4/mon/90, they had complaints about a low flying plane. They got the tail # off my plane by having someone fly next to me to get it. On 4/fri/90 while taking pictures, I saw an aircraft next to me and behind me. The distance between my wing tip and his was about 30-40'. I was very startled and tried to evade him. He kept following me in the same position. Then he climbed and went above me. I turned left and right to try to find him, but was unable to since I was in a high wing aircraft. I wanted to climb but was afraid to since I didn't know if he was still there. At this time I may not have been at my minimum safe altitude since I was trying to find him and was afraid to climb. He appeared next to me again then climbed over me, but I didn't see him again. It was a low wing small aircraft, the first was X. Later that day another plane appeared next to me and followed me. It was an small aircraft tail #. He didn't stay long after I tried to stay away from him. On 4/mon/90, while taking pictures, I saw a plane approaching so I climbed up to 2500' MSL and watched the aircraft fly low and turn left and right for about 5 mins then fly away. I went back to work. The terrain I was photographing was rolling hills and valleys consisting mainly of farms. While it is possible I may have flown below the prescribed minimum safe altitude I don't think I did except when the other aircraft came so close to me. Needless to say, I am flying much higher than is required for fear of other aircraft creating the same dangerous situation with me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW FLYING PHOTO ACFT REPORTED BY RESIDENTS AND PLT IS CAUGHT BY POLICE ACFT.

Narrative: ON 4/MON/90 AFTER A DAY OF TAKING AERIAL PICTURES WHILE EMPLOYED BY AN AERIAL PHOTO COMPANY, I LANDED AT THE ARPT IN FREDERICK, MD. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAXIING AND TURNING THE ACFT OFF, THE STATE POLICE HELI LANDED AND THE PLT TOLD ME TO GET OUT OF THE ACFT. AFTER EXPLAINING WHAT I WAS DOING HE SAID OK, BUT A STATE POLICE CAR WAS THERE TO TAKE ME TO THE WESTMINSTER POLICE STATION WHERE I WAS CHARGED WITH FLYING TOO LOW. THE OFFICER SAID THAT ON 4/FRI, 4/SUN AND 4/MON/90, THEY HAD COMPLAINTS ABOUT A LOW FLYING PLANE. THEY GOT THE TAIL # OFF MY PLANE BY HAVING SOMEONE FLY NEXT TO ME TO GET IT. ON 4/FRI/90 WHILE TAKING PICTURES, I SAW AN ACFT NEXT TO ME AND BEHIND ME. THE DISTANCE BTWN MY WING TIP AND HIS WAS ABOUT 30-40'. I WAS VERY STARTLED AND TRIED TO EVADE HIM. HE KEPT FOLLOWING ME IN THE SAME POS. THEN HE CLBED AND WENT ABOVE ME. I TURNED LEFT AND RIGHT TO TRY TO FIND HIM, BUT WAS UNABLE TO SINCE I WAS IN A HIGH WING ACFT. I WANTED TO CLB BUT WAS AFRAID TO SINCE I DIDN'T KNOW IF HE WAS STILL THERE. AT THIS TIME I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AT MY MINIMUM SAFE ALT SINCE I WAS TRYING TO FIND HIM AND WAS AFRAID TO CLB. HE APPEARED NEXT TO ME AGAIN THEN CLBED OVER ME, BUT I DIDN'T SEE HIM AGAIN. IT WAS A LOW WING SMA, THE FIRST WAS X. LATER THAT DAY ANOTHER PLANE APPEARED NEXT TO ME AND FOLLOWED ME. IT WAS AN SMA TAIL #. HE DIDN'T STAY LONG AFTER I TRIED TO STAY AWAY FROM HIM. ON 4/MON/90, WHILE TAKING PICTURES, I SAW A PLANE APCHING SO I CLBED UP TO 2500' MSL AND WATCHED THE ACFT FLY LOW AND TURN LEFT AND RIGHT FOR ABOUT 5 MINS THEN FLY AWAY. I WENT BACK TO WORK. THE TERRAIN I WAS PHOTOGRAPHING WAS ROLLING HILLS AND VALLEYS CONSISTING MAINLY OF FARMS. WHILE IT IS POSSIBLE I MAY HAVE FLOWN BELOW THE PRESCRIBED MINIMUM SAFE ALT I DON'T THINK I DID EXCEPT WHEN THE OTHER ACFT CAME SO CLOSE TO ME. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I AM FLYING MUCH HIGHER THAN IS REQUIRED FOR FEAR OF OTHER ACFT CREATING THE SAME DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH ME.

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.