Narrative:

In the mid afternoon, tornadoes ravaged the nearby town of plainfield, il. That evening, friends who were still unable to reach their father and family members in town asked if I would fly over in an effort to determine the extent of damage near the family, and whether it was accessible by road. I said I would try and together with another pilot who volunteered to help fly while I searched we set out for the neighboring town in a borrowed aircraft. Initially we planned to remain at least 2000' above any obstacles in the area. However, in the poor light of dusk with both of us looking for landmarks that had been made almost unrecognizable by the storm, we inadvertently went below the appropriate minimum altitude. Just as we noticed our deviation a traffic conflict with one of the many other aircraft circling the disaster area forced us still lower. When we were sure the other aircraft was clear we climbed back to an appropriate altitude and remained at or above it as we exited the area to the southeast. Although our effort was made with the best of intentions it is apparent now that we should have considered staying away from the area at least until morning. If an aerial survey was still necessary then at least there would have been more light and less air traffic. With few distrs it is likely we would not have been drawn away from our 1000' minimum altitude. Supplemental information from acn 155376: as the sun set it became harder and harder to see and before we realized it we had descended below our minimum altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC FOR GA PLT RUBBERNECKING AT TORNADO DISASTER SITE.

Narrative: IN THE MID AFTERNOON, TORNADOES RAVAGED THE NEARBY TOWN OF PLAINFIELD, IL. THAT EVENING, FRIENDS WHO WERE STILL UNABLE TO REACH THEIR FATHER AND FAMILY MEMBERS IN TOWN ASKED IF I WOULD FLY OVER IN AN EFFORT TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE NEAR THE FAMILY, AND WHETHER IT WAS ACCESSIBLE BY ROAD. I SAID I WOULD TRY AND TOGETHER WITH ANOTHER PLT WHO VOLUNTEERED TO HELP FLY WHILE I SEARCHED WE SET OUT FOR THE NEIGHBORING TOWN IN A BORROWED ACFT. INITIALLY WE PLANNED TO REMAIN AT LEAST 2000' ABOVE ANY OBSTACLES IN THE AREA. HOWEVER, IN THE POOR LIGHT OF DUSK WITH BOTH OF US LOOKING FOR LANDMARKS THAT HAD BEEN MADE ALMOST UNRECOGNIZABLE BY THE STORM, WE INADVERTENTLY WENT BELOW THE APPROPRIATE MINIMUM ALT. JUST AS WE NOTICED OUR DEVIATION A TFC CONFLICT WITH ONE OF THE MANY OTHER ACFT CIRCLING THE DISASTER AREA FORCED US STILL LOWER. WHEN WE WERE SURE THE OTHER ACFT WAS CLR WE CLBED BACK TO AN APPROPRIATE ALT AND REMAINED AT OR ABOVE IT AS WE EXITED THE AREA TO THE SE. ALTHOUGH OUR EFFORT WAS MADE WITH THE BEST OF INTENTIONS IT IS APPARENT NOW THAT WE SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERED STAYING AWAY FROM THE AREA AT LEAST UNTIL MORNING. IF AN AERIAL SURVEY WAS STILL NECESSARY THEN AT LEAST THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE LIGHT AND LESS AIR TFC. WITH FEW DISTRS IT IS LIKELY WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DRAWN AWAY FROM OUR 1000' MINIMUM ALT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 155376: AS THE SUN SET IT BECAME HARDER AND HARDER TO SEE AND BEFORE WE REALIZED IT WE HAD DSNDED BELOW OUR MINIMUM ALT.

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.