Small aircraft pilot in formation flies too low over house.

Attributes
ACN	160785
Time
Date	199010
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : 52a
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	160785
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Went on a local VFR flight flying formation with another aircraft. I was wing man. We briefed before takeoff on procedures and general route of flight. Takeoff and cruise were normal en route to a nearby airport/development under construction. We intended to fly over the runway and check out the area. I had flown with this other pilot before and he had never flown too low so as to violate any far's. We made the pass and, as I was concentrating on holding position, I was not aware of my exact altitude and airspeed. However I became aware that we were lower than 500' by some unknown amount, and there was a house near the edge of the airfield (which I had not known) which we probably flew too close to. I must emphasize that we were never so low as to be dangerous. We stayed well above treetops and airspeed was around 140 KTS. We never were likely to hit anything (ground, house, wires, etc), but probably came closer than the minimum distance to the house. This was not intended to be a low altitude buzz-job, but got lower than intended due to leader possibly being distracted. My recommendation is to emphasize safety and no far violations more emphatically during briefing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT IN FORMATION FLIES TOO LOW OVER HOUSE.

Narrative: WENT ON A LCL VFR FLT FLYING FORMATION WITH ANOTHER ACFT. I WAS WING MAN. WE BRIEFED BEFORE TKOF ON PROCS AND GENERAL RTE OF FLT. TKOF AND CRUISE WERE NORMAL ENRTE TO A NEARBY ARPT/DEVELOPMENT UNDER CONSTRUCTION. WE INTENDED TO FLY OVER THE RWY AND CHK OUT THE AREA. I HAD FLOWN WITH THIS OTHER PLT BEFORE AND HE HAD NEVER FLOWN TOO LOW SO AS TO VIOLATE ANY FAR'S. WE MADE THE PASS AND, AS I WAS CONCENTRATING ON HOLDING POS, I WAS NOT AWARE OF MY EXACT ALT AND AIRSPD. HOWEVER I BECAME AWARE THAT WE WERE LOWER THAN 500' BY SOME UNKNOWN AMOUNT, AND THERE WAS A HOUSE NEAR THE EDGE OF THE AIRFIELD (WHICH I HAD NOT KNOWN) WHICH WE PROBABLY FLEW TOO CLOSE TO. I MUST EMPHASIZE THAT WE WERE NEVER SO LOW AS TO BE DANGEROUS. WE STAYED WELL ABOVE TREETOPS AND AIRSPD WAS AROUND 140 KTS. WE NEVER WERE LIKELY TO HIT ANYTHING (GND, HOUSE, WIRES, ETC), BUT PROBABLY CAME CLOSER THAN THE MINIMUM DISTANCE TO THE HOUSE. THIS WAS NOT INTENDED TO BE A LOW ALT BUZZ-JOB, BUT GOT LOWER THAN INTENDED DUE TO LEADER POSSIBLY BEING DISTRACTED. MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO EMPHASIZE SAFETY AND NO FAR VIOLATIONS MORE EMPHATICALLY DURING BRIEFING.

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.