Narrative:

The event was aerial photography flight at snipe point, fl. Snipe point is an uninhabited area of mangroves and gulf waters approximately 10 NM northwest of eyw VOR 050 radial. Aircraft was flown at less than 1000 ft overwater for the sole purpose of photographing human subjects posing in shallow water. Afore mentioned subjects and additional ground crew consisting of numerous boats had arranged and authorized the photo session with the photographer. The photographer directed the pilot as to where the aircraft needed to be positioned in order to achieve the desired technical effects. The pilot was informed by the photographer prior to the flight that the people and vessels in the vicinity were there specifically for the purpose of the photo session. It was, and remains to be, the belief of the pilot, photographer, photo subjects, and support crew that at no time was the aircraft creating a hazard nor endangering those persons involved. Problem arose when an individual vessel, not associated with the photo session, mistook the aircraft for one operated by the department of national resources. The individual had a personal 'gripe' with the dnr due to the dnr's recent attempts to prohibit local citizen boaters from not only snipe point, but 700 square NM of wilderness in the florida keys. The individual reported the aircraft to the miami FAA and the same individual contacted the FAA and stated that he did not wish to pursue the matter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ACFT ON PHOTOGRAPHIC ASSIGNMENT OVER PREARRANGED BOATS AND PHOTOGRAPHIC PARTY FLEW BELOW 1000 AGL AND WAS RPTED BY A STRAY BOAT OWNER IN THE AREA. LATER THE CHARGE WAS NOT PURSUED.

Narrative: THE EVENT WAS AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY FLT AT SNIPE POINT, FL. SNIPE POINT IS AN UNINHABITED AREA OF MANGROVES AND GULF WATERS APPROX 10 NM NW OF EYW VOR 050 RADIAL. ACFT WAS FLOWN AT LESS THAN 1000 FT OVERWATER FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF PHOTOGRAPHING HUMAN SUBJECTS POSING IN SHALLOW WATER. AFORE MENTIONED SUBJECTS AND ADDITIONAL GND CREW CONSISTING OF NUMEROUS BOATS HAD ARRANGED AND AUTHORIZED THE PHOTO SESSION WITH THE PHOTOGRAPHER. THE PHOTOGRAPHER DIRECTED THE PLT AS TO WHERE THE ACFT NEEDED TO BE POSITIONED IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED TECHNICAL EFFECTS. THE PLT WAS INFORMED BY THE PHOTOGRAPHER PRIOR TO THE FLT THAT THE PEOPLE AND VESSELS IN THE VICINITY WERE THERE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE PHOTO SESSION. IT WAS, AND REMAINS TO BE, THE BELIEF OF THE PLT, PHOTOGRAPHER, PHOTO SUBJECTS, AND SUPPORT CREW THAT AT NO TIME WAS THE ACFT CREATING A HAZARD NOR ENDANGERING THOSE PERSONS INVOLVED. PROBLEM AROSE WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL VESSEL, NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE PHOTO SESSION, MISTOOK THE ACFT FOR ONE OPERATED BY THE DEPT OF NATIONAL RESOURCES. THE INDIVIDUAL HAD A PERSONAL 'GRIPE' WITH THE DNR DUE TO THE DNR'S RECENT ATTEMPTS TO PROHIBIT LCL CITIZEN BOATERS FROM NOT ONLY SNIPE POINT, BUT 700 SQUARE NM OF WILDERNESS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS. THE INDIVIDUAL RPTED THE ACFT TO THE MIAMI FAA AND THE SAME INDIVIDUAL CONTACTED THE FAA AND STATED THAT HE DID NOT WISH TO PURSUE THE MATTER.

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.