Narrative:

Operating a helicopter on personal business flight from near stl to ind. Stopped at parks downtown in stl to refuel. Airport is near the gateway arch. I maneuvered near the heliport for landing. However, there were 2 helicopters already there and insufficient room to land. I maneuvered near the arch, but not carelessly so. I refueled and departed. About 5 mi out en route to ind, tower said a local FSDO inspector wanted the name and certificate # of the PIC, which I supplied. Upon later contact with the FSDO, I was told that they were responding to a citizen complaint that I operated at too low an altitude and near or under the arch. I did not operate under the arch, but had to hover low to land. All operations were normal and the citizen is apparently a troublemaker. I'm filing this report to avoid penalty since this is the just the type of thing the FAA blow way out of proportion, relying on the citizen's word over mine. By the way, at no time did the tower or anybody else complain about my operations.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ROTARY WING PLT REPORTER COMPLAINS OF OBS CLAIM TO FAA FSDO OF UNAUTH LOW FLT NEAR REFUELING ARPT AS HE HOVERED AWAITING LNDG SPACE.

Narrative: OPERATING A HELI ON PERSONAL BUSINESS FLT FROM NEAR STL TO IND. STOPPED AT PARKS DOWNTOWN IN STL TO REFUEL. ARPT IS NEAR THE GATEWAY ARCH. I MANEUVERED NEAR THE HELIPORT FOR LNDG. HOWEVER, THERE WERE 2 HELIS ALREADY THERE AND INSUFFICIENT ROOM TO LAND. I MANEUVERED NEAR THE ARCH, BUT NOT CARELESSLY SO. I REFUELED AND DEPARTED. ABOUT 5 MI OUT ENRTE TO IND, TWR SAID A LCL FSDO INSPECTOR WANTED THE NAME AND CERTIFICATE # OF THE PIC, WHICH I SUPPLIED. UPON LATER CONTACT WITH THE FSDO, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE RESPONDING TO A CITIZEN COMPLAINT THAT I OPERATED AT TOO LOW AN ALT AND NEAR OR UNDER THE ARCH. I DID NOT OPERATE UNDER THE ARCH, BUT HAD TO HOVER LOW TO LAND. ALL OPS WERE NORMAL AND THE CITIZEN IS APPARENTLY A TROUBLEMAKER. I'M FILING THIS RPT TO AVOID PENALTY SINCE THIS IS THE JUST THE TYPE OF THING THE FAA BLOW WAY OUT OF PROPORTION, RELYING ON THE CITIZEN'S WORD OVER MINE. BY THE WAY, AT NO TIME DID THE TWR OR ANYBODY ELSE COMPLAIN ABOUT MY OPS.

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.