37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 186859 |
Time | |
Date | 199108 |
Day | Thu |
Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | atc facility : btg |
State Reference | WA |
Altitude | agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 200 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Operator | general aviation : instructional |
Make Model Name | Helicopter |
Flight Phase | cruise other |
Flight Plan | None |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | Other |
Function | flight crew : single pilot |
Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : private |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1600 flight time type : 200 |
ASRS Report | 186859 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | Other |
Function | observation : observer |
Qualification | other other : other |
Events | |
Anomaly | non adherence : far other anomaly other |
Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
Consequence | faa : investigated |
Supplementary | |
Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
The pilot was conducting a tour or series of runs of the same tour of mt st helens volcanic monument and the surrounding area. When flying down what is known as 'harry's ravine' I observed geologist activity on the sides of the ravine. At that point I raised my altitude and slowed my speed through the ravine on that and subsequent tours, as consideration for the 4 or 5 geologists in the sides of the ravine. My intentions were to still display the layers of mud flow and erosion effects to the tourists and maintain maximum safety to all concerned in the aircraft and on the ground. My estimated distance from any personnel on the ground was at least 200 ft or greater. My feeling for the reason to cause the report: as I flew around a bend in the canyon I and the passenger observed a female geologist sunning herself in the nude from the mid section down. Due to the surprise I suspect it spawned a report to the FAA. The complaint also alleges a similar or same occurrence of low flying on aug/af this pilot's day off were the af and ag. I was not in the area, but at my residence in oregon from the evening of ae to the morning of the ah of aug/91. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the FAA contacted his office and then telephoned him in the field. He gave an oral report to them. Has since received a letter indicating an investigation will take place. Complaint filed by usgs. This operation takes place from private property in the area and is just for tours of the mountain.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: HELI ON SIGHTSEEING TOUR AT 200 FT AGL ENCOUNTERS NUDE SUN BATHER. SURPRISES EVERYONE!
Narrative: THE PLT WAS CONDUCTING A TOUR OR SERIES OF RUNS OF THE SAME TOUR OF MT ST HELENS VOLCANIC MONUMENT AND THE SURROUNDING AREA. WHEN FLYING DOWN WHAT IS KNOWN AS 'HARRY'S RAVINE' I OBSERVED GEOLOGIST ACTIVITY ON THE SIDES OF THE RAVINE. AT THAT POINT I RAISED MY ALT AND SLOWED MY SPD THROUGH THE RAVINE ON THAT AND SUBSEQUENT TOURS, AS CONSIDERATION FOR THE 4 OR 5 GEOLOGISTS IN THE SIDES OF THE RAVINE. MY INTENTIONS WERE TO STILL DISPLAY THE LAYERS OF MUD FLOW AND EROSION EFFECTS TO THE TOURISTS AND MAINTAIN MAX SAFETY TO ALL CONCERNED IN THE ACFT AND ON THE GND. MY ESTIMATED DISTANCE FROM ANY PERSONNEL ON THE GND WAS AT LEAST 200 FT OR GREATER. MY FEELING FOR THE REASON TO CAUSE THE RPT: AS I FLEW AROUND A BEND IN THE CANYON I AND THE PAX OBSERVED A FEMALE GEOLOGIST SUNNING HERSELF IN THE NUDE FROM THE MID SECTION DOWN. DUE TO THE SURPRISE I SUSPECT IT SPAWNED A RPT TO THE FAA. THE COMPLAINT ALSO ALLEGES A SIMILAR OR SAME OCCURRENCE OF LOW FLYING ON AUG/AF THIS PLT'S DAY OFF WERE THE AF AND AG. I WAS NOT IN THE AREA, BUT AT MY RESIDENCE IN OREGON FROM THE EVENING OF AE TO THE MORNING OF THE AH OF AUG/91. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE FAA CONTACTED HIS OFFICE AND THEN TELEPHONED HIM IN THE FIELD. HE GAVE AN ORAL RPT TO THEM. HAS SINCE RECEIVED A LETTER INDICATING AN INVESTIGATION WILL TAKE PLACE. COMPLAINT FILED BY USGS. THIS OP TAKES PLACE FROM PRIVATE PROPERTY IN THE AREA AND IS JUST FOR TOURS OF THE MOUNTAIN.
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.