Narrative:

I am employed by a major air carrier as a first officer on an medium large transport. This was the third time in 10 yrs that I had flown a small single engine for pleasure. My son and I took off from luk with the intent of video taping our house. Several neighbors were aware of this flight, and would be outside watching for us. Pattern altitude at luk is 1500' MSL (field elevation 488'). Not thinking about the higher elevation where my neighborhood is located, I set out to stay at pattern altitude. This, I thought, would keep us the required 1000' AGL. We arrived at our neighborhood and circled for approximately 40 mins. We took pictures and did some sightseeing. During our flight, I used a steep bank (in excess of 45 degrees) several times to stay within the boundaries of the neighborhood. In addition, I flew a parallel course to our street wagging the wings for the neighbors on the ground. I do not believe that our altitude dropped below 1400' MSL. Upon arrival back at luk I was notified by the tower controller that they had 5 noise complaints over my route of flight. One of the complaints indicated I was using steep banks and buzzing the neighborhood. He indicated that he would be passing this report on to the cvg FSDO. He also indicated to me that I may have been flying too low. After reviewing the flight I realized that staying at pattern altitude over my house violated far 91.79 paragraph B. If field elevation is 488' at luk, it must be close to 900' at my house. Therefore, at 1400' MSL I was probably flying no more than 500' AGL. After reviewing the far's I feel I probably violated 91.71 (aerobatic flight) also, this done by doing the wing wagging at 500' AGL over a populated area. I feel that these inadvertent errors were the result of not taking into account the subtle changes in elevation in a relatively flat area. I also had forgotten the FAA's definition of aerobatic flight. All things considered, I feel the cause was flight planning complacency for a simple VFR flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW AND AEROBATIC FLYING OVER A BUILT UP AREA CLAIMED AGAINST ACR FO ON PLEASURE FLT IN SMA.

Narrative: I AM EMPLOYED BY A MAJOR ACR AS A F/O ON AN MLG. THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME IN 10 YRS THAT I HAD FLOWN A SMALL SINGLE ENG FOR PLEASURE. MY SON AND I TOOK OFF FROM LUK WITH THE INTENT OF VIDEO TAPING OUR HOUSE. SEVERAL NEIGHBORS WERE AWARE OF THIS FLT, AND WOULD BE OUTSIDE WATCHING FOR US. PATTERN ALT AT LUK IS 1500' MSL (FIELD ELEVATION 488'). NOT THINKING ABOUT THE HIGHER ELEVATION WHERE MY NEIGHBORHOOD IS LOCATED, I SET OUT TO STAY AT PATTERN ALT. THIS, I THOUGHT, WOULD KEEP US THE REQUIRED 1000' AGL. WE ARRIVED AT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND CIRCLED FOR APPROX 40 MINS. WE TOOK PICTURES AND DID SOME SIGHTSEEING. DURING OUR FLT, I USED A STEEP BANK (IN EXCESS OF 45 DEGS) SEVERAL TIMES TO STAY WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. IN ADDITION, I FLEW A PARALLEL COURSE TO OUR STREET WAGGING THE WINGS FOR THE NEIGHBORS ON THE GND. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT OUR ALT DROPPED BELOW 1400' MSL. UPON ARR BACK AT LUK I WAS NOTIFIED BY THE TWR CTLR THAT THEY HAD 5 NOISE COMPLAINTS OVER MY RTE OF FLT. ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS INDICATED I WAS USING STEEP BANKS AND BUZZING THE NEIGHBORHOOD. HE INDICATED THAT HE WOULD BE PASSING THIS RPT ON TO THE CVG FSDO. HE ALSO INDICATED TO ME THAT I MAY HAVE BEEN FLYING TOO LOW. AFTER REVIEWING THE FLT I REALIZED THAT STAYING AT PATTERN ALT OVER MY HOUSE VIOLATED FAR 91.79 PARAGRAPH B. IF FIELD ELEVATION IS 488' AT LUK, IT MUST BE CLOSE TO 900' AT MY HOUSE. THEREFORE, AT 1400' MSL I WAS PROBABLY FLYING NO MORE THAN 500' AGL. AFTER REVIEWING THE FAR'S I FEEL I PROBABLY VIOLATED 91.71 (AEROBATIC FLT) ALSO, THIS DONE BY DOING THE WING WAGGING AT 500' AGL OVER A POPULATED AREA. I FEEL THAT THESE INADVERTENT ERRORS WERE THE RESULT OF NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE SUBTLE CHANGES IN ELEVATION IN A RELATIVELY FLAT AREA. I ALSO HAD FORGOTTEN THE FAA'S DEFINITION OF AEROBATIC FLT. ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, I FEEL THE CAUSE WAS FLT PLANNING COMPLACENCY FOR A SIMPLE VFR FLT.

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.