Narrative:

This is a report and a complaint concerning a low flying aircraft, performing aerobatics at low altitude, over a residential area of alamo, ca, on apr/xx/93. On apr/xx/93 between approximately XA35 to XA45 pm, in VMC conditions, a biplane, open cockpit, 2-SEATER aircraft, painted either black or dark blue with red and light blue stripes along the fuselage or red, white and blue stripes, swooped down at low altitudes over the residential country club area, shown in yellow on the attached road map, at least 5 or 6 times, performing abrupt maneuvers. I am a former air traffic controller, GA pilot and was a safety analyst for the FAA/NASA ASRS. I believe that a fairly accurate estimate is that the pilot maneuvered as low as 150 ft above the ground, allowing for some tall trees as high as 75 ft. During these maneuvers the pilot executed some sharp turns and rolls and on one occasion pulled up abruptly into a near stall attitude, recovering for another swoop over the area. Unfortunately, due to the rapidly changing attitudes of the aircraft, no identify numbers were noted on the wings and those on the stabilizer could not be observed, even though I used binoculars. I could observe 2 pilots however, even without the binoculars. This type of maneuvering by a biplane, with very similar markings and probably the same aircraft, has occurred at least twice before over this same area, each time on a wkend, during the past 2 yrs. While it is an infrequent occurrence, it is obviously a violation of the FARS and a threat to life and property. There is a golf course in the immediate vicinity but the opportunity for a recovery, in the event of engine failure, would be nil. The only hope for a landing would be on freeway 680 which is 1/2 mi from the area, but not a likely runway due to heavy vehicular traffic on the freeway at any given time. When the aircraft left the area after the last low pass it headed nwward on approximately 300 degree heading and may have diverted to buchanan field in concord, ca. I would have liked to call the buchanan control tower but without their telephone number and no listing in the telephone book, I could not do so. A call to the airport manager number resulted in a recording which allowed reporting of noise abatement complaints, therefore no report was made.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW ALT CIVIL OP OVER POPULATED AREA APPEARS TO HAVE VIOLATED FARS.

Narrative: THIS IS A RPT AND A COMPLAINT CONCERNING A LOW FLYING ACFT, PERFORMING AEROBATICS AT LOW ALT, OVER A RESIDENTIAL AREA OF ALAMO, CA, ON APR/XX/93. ON APR/XX/93 BTWN APPROX XA35 TO XA45 PM, IN VMC CONDITIONS, A BIPLANE, OPEN COCKPIT, 2-SEATER ACFT, PAINTED EITHER BLACK OR DARK BLUE WITH RED AND LIGHT BLUE STRIPES ALONG THE FUSELAGE OR RED, WHITE AND BLUE STRIPES, SWOOPED DOWN AT LOW ALTS OVER THE RESIDENTIAL COUNTRY CLUB AREA, SHOWN IN YELLOW ON THE ATTACHED ROAD MAP, AT LEAST 5 OR 6 TIMES, PERFORMING ABRUPT MANEUVERS. I AM A FORMER AIR TFC CTLR, GA PLT AND WAS A SAFETY ANALYST FOR THE FAA/NASA ASRS. I BELIEVE THAT A FAIRLY ACCURATE ESTIMATE IS THAT THE PLT MANEUVERED AS LOW AS 150 FT ABOVE THE GND, ALLOWING FOR SOME TALL TREES AS HIGH AS 75 FT. DURING THESE MANEUVERS THE PLT EXECUTED SOME SHARP TURNS AND ROLLS AND ON ONE OCCASION PULLED UP ABRUPTLY INTO A NEAR STALL ATTITUDE, RECOVERING FOR ANOTHER SWOOP OVER THE AREA. UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO THE RAPIDLY CHANGING ATTITUDES OF THE ACFT, NO IDENT NUMBERS WERE NOTED ON THE WINGS AND THOSE ON THE STABILIZER COULD NOT BE OBSERVED, EVEN THOUGH I USED BINOCULARS. I COULD OBSERVE 2 PLTS HOWEVER, EVEN WITHOUT THE BINOCULARS. THIS TYPE OF MANEUVERING BY A BIPLANE, WITH VERY SIMILAR MARKINGS AND PROBABLY THE SAME ACFT, HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST TWICE BEFORE OVER THIS SAME AREA, EACH TIME ON A WKEND, DURING THE PAST 2 YRS. WHILE IT IS AN INFREQUENT OCCURRENCE, IT IS OBVIOUSLY A VIOLATION OF THE FARS AND A THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY. THERE IS A GOLF COURSE IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY BUT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A RECOVERY, IN THE EVENT OF ENG FAILURE, WOULD BE NIL. THE ONLY HOPE FOR A LNDG WOULD BE ON FREEWAY 680 WHICH IS 1/2 MI FROM THE AREA, BUT NOT A LIKELY RWY DUE TO HVY VEHICULAR TFC ON THE FREEWAY AT ANY GIVEN TIME. WHEN THE ACFT LEFT THE AREA AFTER THE LAST LOW PASS IT HEADED NWWARD ON APPROX 300 DEG HDG AND MAY HAVE DIVERTED TO BUCHANAN FIELD IN CONCORD, CA. I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO CALL THE BUCHANAN CTL TWR BUT WITHOUT THEIR TELEPHONE NUMBER AND NO LISTING IN THE TELEPHONE BOOK, I COULD NOT DO SO. A CALL TO THE ARPT MGR NUMBER RESULTED IN A RECORDING WHICH ALLOWED RPTING OF NOISE ABATEMENT COMPLAINTS, THEREFORE NO RPT WAS MADE.

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.