Narrative:

Departed battle creek on a 15 min flight. Before takeoff I advised the tower I would be proceeding south of the airport, and would be inbound in approximately 10 mins. After giving a quick orientation flight I advised the tower I was inbound for landing. They informed me to report on a right base leg for runway 5. I advised I would like to make a pass over goguac lake which would set me up for a right downwind for runway 5. They advised to report on the right downwind. At the northeast end of goguac lake I advised the tower I was over the lake on right downwind for runway 5. I was cleared for the option, and informed tower I would be full stop. At this time I was at approximately 2000 ft MSL. I lowered the nose of the aircraft and passed over the lake at an altitude of approximately 1100 ft MSL. At this time I was over the lake, away from all houses and individuals by at least 500 ft. There were no boats in the area, (it was approximately 45 degree F outside, therefore no boat traffic. Because of the lack of boat traffic it allowed for a chance to view the lake at a low altitude without passing within 500 ft of persons or property). Before reaching the end of the lake I climbed back to approximately 1500 ft MSL and turned the right base for runway 5, and having already been cleared to land, landed and taxied to parking. After a 5 min shutdown I restarted the engine and called ground for taxi instructions. I informed them I would repeat my last flight, that is, I would proceed sbound, and this time call them inbound for the right downwind and pass over goguac lake. The same scenario followed, I called over goguac lake entering the right downwind at an altitude of approximately 2000 ft MSL, dropped low over the lake, once again making sure I was at least 500 ft from structures and individuals. Once again climbing back to 1500 ft MSL before crossing the end of the lake. The whole sequence of descent from 2000 ft MSL to 1100 ft MSL and return to 1500 ft MSL I would approximately at 2 mins, and at no time during either flight were persons, boats, or houses being 'buzzed', the entire time spent below 'pattern altitude' was over unpopulated lake area. Having been cleared to land, I did so, and taxed to parking. At this time tower advised me to call them on the telephone. I advised I had intended on making one more flight, and they indicated they would like a call before the flight. I informed them I would secure the aircraft and call them. Upon calling the control tower, I was advised the tower had been called by a resident of goguac lake who complained that I had flown low over the lake. I was also advised the tower had watched my descent and pass over the lake. The tower advised a report would have to be filled out. I may have shown poor judgement in flying over the lake and making noise, however I did not pass within 500 ft of persons or structures, and do not think the middle of a lake constitutes a populated area. At all times I was in contact with the tower, and at all times advised them of my position and intentions. There were no other aircraft operating in the control zone, and at all times while flying my navigation lights, strobe lights, and landing lights were on. My understanding of the far's when altitude is in question is that you must stay 500 ft away from houses and individuals, and fly at an altitude that will allow for a safe emergency landing in the event of an emergency. One must also avoid open air gatherings and populated areas. I did not consider the middle of a lake to violate any of these criteria. I will say that I know to avoid this type of action in the future. What I may have deemed to be safe has been seen by another as being either unsafe, or as a nuisance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT FLIES DOWNWIND LEG OVER LAKE. DSNDS FOR SIGHTSEEING, CLBS BACK PATTERN ALT. OBSERVER ON GND COMPLAINS OF LOW ALT FLT.

Narrative: DEPARTED BATTLE CREEK ON A 15 MIN FLT. BEFORE TKOF I ADVISED THE TWR I WOULD BE PROCEEDING S OF THE ARPT, AND WOULD BE INBOUND IN APPROX 10 MINS. AFTER GIVING A QUICK ORIENTATION FLT I ADVISED THE TWR I WAS INBOUND FOR LNDG. THEY INFORMED ME TO RPT ON A R BASE LEG FOR RWY 5. I ADVISED I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PASS OVER GOGUAC LAKE WHICH WOULD SET ME UP FOR A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 5. THEY ADVISED TO RPT ON THE R DOWNWIND. AT THE NE END OF GOGUAC LAKE I ADVISED THE TWR I WAS OVER THE LAKE ON R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 5. I WAS CLRED FOR THE OPTION, AND INFORMED TWR I WOULD BE FULL STOP. AT THIS TIME I WAS AT APPROX 2000 FT MSL. I LOWERED THE NOSE OF THE ACFT AND PASSED OVER THE LAKE AT AN ALT OF APPROX 1100 FT MSL. AT THIS TIME I WAS OVER THE LAKE, AWAY FROM ALL HOUSES AND INDIVIDUALS BY AT LEAST 500 FT. THERE WERE NO BOATS IN THE AREA, (IT WAS APPROX 45 DEG F OUTSIDE, THEREFORE NO BOAT TFC. BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF BOAT TFC IT ALLOWED FOR A CHANCE TO VIEW THE LAKE AT A LOW ALT WITHOUT PASSING WITHIN 500 FT OF PERSONS OR PROPERTY). BEFORE REACHING THE END OF THE LAKE I CLBED BACK TO APPROX 1500 FT MSL AND TURNED THE R BASE FOR RWY 5, AND HAVING ALREADY BEEN CLRED TO LAND, LANDED AND TAXIED TO PARKING. AFTER A 5 MIN SHUTDOWN I RESTARTED THE ENG AND CALLED GND FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. I INFORMED THEM I WOULD REPEAT MY LAST FLT, THAT IS, I WOULD PROCEED SBOUND, AND THIS TIME CALL THEM INBOUND FOR THE R DOWNWIND AND PASS OVER GOGUAC LAKE. THE SAME SCENARIO FOLLOWED, I CALLED OVER GOGUAC LAKE ENTERING THE R DOWNWIND AT AN ALT OF APPROX 2000 FT MSL, DROPPED LOW OVER THE LAKE, ONCE AGAIN MAKING SURE I WAS AT LEAST 500 FT FROM STRUCTURES AND INDIVIDUALS. ONCE AGAIN CLBING BACK TO 1500 FT MSL BEFORE XING THE END OF THE LAKE. THE WHOLE SEQUENCE OF DSCNT FROM 2000 FT MSL TO 1100 FT MSL AND RETURN TO 1500 FT MSL I WOULD APPROX AT 2 MINS, AND AT NO TIME DURING EITHER FLT WERE PERSONS, BOATS, OR HOUSES BEING 'BUZZED', THE ENTIRE TIME SPENT BELOW 'PATTERN ALT' WAS OVER UNPOPULATED LAKE AREA. HAVING BEEN CLRED TO LAND, I DID SO, AND TAXED TO PARKING. AT THIS TIME TWR ADVISED ME TO CALL THEM ON THE TELEPHONE. I ADVISED I HAD INTENDED ON MAKING ONE MORE FLT, AND THEY INDICATED THEY WOULD LIKE A CALL BEFORE THE FLT. I INFORMED THEM I WOULD SECURE THE ACFT AND CALL THEM. UPON CALLING THE CTL TWR, I WAS ADVISED THE TWR HAD BEEN CALLED BY A RESIDENT OF GOGUAC LAKE WHO COMPLAINED THAT I HAD FLOWN LOW OVER THE LAKE. I WAS ALSO ADVISED THE TWR HAD WATCHED MY DSCNT AND PASS OVER THE LAKE. THE TWR ADVISED A RPT WOULD HAVE TO BE FILLED OUT. I MAY HAVE SHOWN POOR JUDGEMENT IN FLYING OVER THE LAKE AND MAKING NOISE, HOWEVER I DID NOT PASS WITHIN 500 FT OF PERSONS OR STRUCTURES, AND DO NOT THINK THE MIDDLE OF A LAKE CONSTITUTES A POPULATED AREA. AT ALL TIMES I WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE TWR, AND AT ALL TIMES ADVISED THEM OF MY POS AND INTENTIONS. THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT OPERATING IN THE CTL ZONE, AND AT ALL TIMES WHILE FLYING MY NAV LIGHTS, STROBE LIGHTS, AND LNDG LIGHTS WERE ON. MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE FAR'S WHEN ALT IS IN QUESTION IS THAT YOU MUST STAY 500 FT AWAY FROM HOUSES AND INDIVIDUALS, AND FLY AT AN ALT THAT WILL ALLOW FOR A SAFE EMER LNDG IN THE EVENT OF AN EMER. ONE MUST ALSO AVOID OPEN AIR GATHERINGS AND POPULATED AREAS. I DID NOT CONSIDER THE MIDDLE OF A LAKE TO VIOLATE ANY OF THESE CRITERIA. I WILL SAY THAT I KNOW TO AVOID THIS TYPE OF ACTION IN THE FUTURE. WHAT I MAY HAVE DEEMED TO BE SAFE HAS BEEN SEEN BY ANOTHER AS BEING EITHER UNSAFE, OR AS A NUISANCE.

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.