Narrative:

While my student and I were practicing an engine out procedure at the wellington airport, inspectors were also flying over the field at approximately the same time. (Pm:45 local). We had seen their aircraft high above us and to the right approximately 1-2000 ft as we continued our engine out glide through 1000 ft after passing over the threshold at 300 ft we decided to go around, initiate a climbing right turn and proceed back to palm beach international airport. However, upon arrival we were greeted by inspectors who had just landed after us and basically ramp checked me. There were no complications of the ramp check. But inspector stated there were many complaints by the residents of wellington that pilots were buzzing houses. At that point I explained to him we were merely practicing an engine out emergency procedure and his reply to that was 91.119. Fortunately the topic sentence of that regulation states 'except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes.' if by starting my turn immediately after passing over the threshold gave him the impression we were one of his problem pilots, this is not the case. Please extend our apologies to inspectors for this illusion. I would appreciate a phone call from you folks on how I may train my pilots to practice this procedure without creating undue stress and misunderstanding. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter stated that FAA had checked the regulations and turned the matter over to their legal department. Legal found that the infraction was not intentional and that reporter was not one of the previous transgressors that had been reported in area so let him go. Inspector made a strange remark that he was sorry that they couldn't prosecute reporter for event and recommend that in the future reporter terminate his airwork on engine out lndgs at 500 ft or higher. Reporter was using a private airport for work since he knew one of the owners and owner stated he could land there anytime.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW ALT CIVIL OP RESULTS IN POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF FAR AFTER 2 FAA INSPECTORS IN A FLT INSPECTION ACTIVITY ACFT CITES RPTR FOR PROX OF TERRAIN. (FAR 91 PT 119 PT C).

Narrative: WHILE MY STUDENT AND I WERE PRACTICING AN ENG OUT PROC AT THE WELLINGTON ARPT, INSPECTORS WERE ALSO FLYING OVER THE FIELD AT APPROX THE SAME TIME. (PM:45 LCL). WE HAD SEEN THEIR ACFT HIGH ABOVE US AND TO THE R APPROX 1-2000 FT AS WE CONTINUED OUR ENG OUT GLIDE THROUGH 1000 FT AFTER PASSING OVER THE THRESHOLD AT 300 FT WE DECIDED TO GAR, INITIATE A CLBING R TURN AND PROCEED BACK TO PALM BEACH INTL ARPT. HOWEVER, UPON ARR WE WERE GREETED BY INSPECTORS WHO HAD JUST LANDED AFTER US AND BASICALLY RAMP CHKED ME. THERE WERE NO COMPLICATIONS OF THE RAMP CHK. BUT INSPECTOR STATED THERE WERE MANY COMPLAINTS BY THE RESIDENTS OF WELLINGTON THAT PLTS WERE BUZZING HOUSES. AT THAT POINT I EXPLAINED TO HIM WE WERE MERELY PRACTICING AN ENG OUT EMER PROC AND HIS REPLY TO THAT WAS 91.119. FORTUNATELY THE TOPIC SENTENCE OF THAT REG STATES 'EXCEPT WHEN NECESSARY FOR TKOF OR LNDG, NO PERSON MAY OPERATE AN ACFT BELOW THE FOLLOWING ALTS.' IF BY STARTING MY TURN IMMEDIATELY AFTER PASSING OVER THE THRESHOLD GAVE HIM THE IMPRESSION WE WERE ONE OF HIS PROBLEM PLTS, THIS IS NOT THE CASE. PLEASE EXTEND OUR APOLOGIES TO INSPECTORS FOR THIS ILLUSION. I WOULD APPRECIATE A PHONE CALL FROM YOU FOLKS ON HOW I MAY TRAIN MY PLTS TO PRACTICE THIS PROC WITHOUT CREATING UNDUE STRESS AND MISUNDERSTANDING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATED THAT FAA HAD CHKED THE REGS AND TURNED THE MATTER OVER TO THEIR LEGAL DEPT. LEGAL FOUND THAT THE INFRACTION WAS NOT INTENTIONAL AND THAT RPTR WAS NOT ONE OF THE PREVIOUS TRANSGRESSORS THAT HAD BEEN RPTED IN AREA SO LET HIM GO. INSPECTOR MADE A STRANGE REMARK THAT HE WAS SORRY THAT THEY COULDN'T PROSECUTE RPTR FOR EVENT AND RECOMMEND THAT IN THE FUTURE RPTR TERMINATE HIS AIRWORK ON ENG OUT LNDGS AT 500 FT OR HIGHER. RPTR WAS USING A PVT ARPT FOR WORK SINCE HE KNEW ONE OF THE OWNERS AND OWNER STATED HE COULD LAND THERE ANYTIME.

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.