Narrative:

Approximately 2 hours before flight, I contacted seattle tower and explained that I wanted to take some aerial photographs of roadways within the seattle TCA. After extensive discussions I was directed to contact seattle tower when airborne, about xx:00. At that time I requested 1500' to maintain proper altitude. At xx:00, I departed the small private airport where I keep my small aircraft hangared. I contacted seattle tower and again explained my mission and requested 1500' altitude. As I approached the TCA boundary and the apartment complex that was my first target, the controller asked if I could descend and maintain 1000'. West/O thinking I answered in the affirmative. I was then cleared to enter the TCA and instructed to remain at or below 1000'. Unfortunately my photographic target sat at the base of a ridge. The base of the ridge is about sea level, but the residential development at the top of the ridge is about 350' higher. Since I was cleared to 1000', I descended and began circling the target. My flight path took me over the development, at an altitude of about 600-700' AGL. Prior to the flight, I had explained to my passenger (a seattle police department detective) why we could not descend below 1500' MSL, pointing out the congested residential area, and even going so far as to show him the far's on point. Unfortunately, in the urgency of approaching the TCA boundary, I misunderstood the controller's question, and inadvertently led the controller to believe that I could legally fly below 1000' AGL in that area. This low flight is soley the product of my failure to think through the nature of the communication and my meekness in attempting to accommodate the controller. Undoubtedly in the back of my mind I thought that the controller might deny me clearance if I did not comply. This form of 'get-there-itis' resulted in my violating the low flight regulations. From now on I will remember that questions from controllers can be answered with a no, and that controllers have no crystal ball to ascertain whether an aircraft has been issued a regulation waiver.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON PHOTO MISSION DESCENDS TOO LOW OVER POPULATED AREA.

Narrative: APPROX 2 HRS BEFORE FLT, I CONTACTED SEATTLE TWR AND EXPLAINED THAT I WANTED TO TAKE SOME AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF ROADWAYS WITHIN THE SEATTLE TCA. AFTER EXTENSIVE DISCUSSIONS I WAS DIRECTED TO CONTACT SEATTLE TWR WHEN AIRBORNE, ABOUT XX:00. AT THAT TIME I REQUESTED 1500' TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALT. AT XX:00, I DEPARTED THE SMALL PVT ARPT WHERE I KEEP MY SMA HANGARED. I CONTACTED SEATTLE TWR AND AGAIN EXPLAINED MY MISSION AND REQUESTED 1500' ALT. AS I APCHED THE TCA BOUNDARY AND THE APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT WAS MY FIRST TARGET, THE CTLR ASKED IF I COULD DSND AND MAINTAIN 1000'. W/O THINKING I ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. I WAS THEN CLRED TO ENTER THE TCA AND INSTRUCTED TO REMAIN AT OR BELOW 1000'. UNFORTUNATELY MY PHOTOGRAPHIC TARGET SAT AT THE BASE OF A RIDGE. THE BASE OF THE RIDGE IS ABOUT SEA LEVEL, BUT THE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AT THE TOP OF THE RIDGE IS ABOUT 350' HIGHER. SINCE I WAS CLRED TO 1000', I DSNDED AND BEGAN CIRCLING THE TARGET. MY FLT PATH TOOK ME OVER THE DEVELOPMENT, AT AN ALT OF ABOUT 600-700' AGL. PRIOR TO THE FLT, I HAD EXPLAINED TO MY PAX (A SEATTLE POLICE DEPT DETECTIVE) WHY WE COULD NOT DSND BELOW 1500' MSL, POINTING OUT THE CONGESTED RESIDENTIAL AREA, AND EVEN GOING SO FAR AS TO SHOW HIM THE FAR'S ON POINT. UNFORTUNATELY, IN THE URGENCY OF APCHING THE TCA BOUNDARY, I MISUNDERSTOOD THE CTLR'S QUESTION, AND INADVERTENTLY LED THE CTLR TO BELIEVE THAT I COULD LEGALLY FLY BELOW 1000' AGL IN THAT AREA. THIS LOW FLT IS SOLEY THE PRODUCT OF MY FAILURE TO THINK THROUGH THE NATURE OF THE COM AND MY MEEKNESS IN ATTEMPTING TO ACCOMMODATE THE CTLR. UNDOUBTEDLY IN THE BACK OF MY MIND I THOUGHT THAT THE CTLR MIGHT DENY ME CLRNC IF I DID NOT COMPLY. THIS FORM OF 'GET-THERE-ITIS' RESULTED IN MY VIOLATING THE LOW FLT REGS. FROM NOW ON I WILL REMEMBER THAT QUESTIONS FROM CTLRS CAN BE ANSWERED WITH A NO, AND THAT CTLRS HAVE NO CRYSTAL BALL TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER AN ACFT HAS BEEN ISSUED A REG WAIVER.

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.