Narrative:

Report of low flying aircraft between watsonville, ca, and santa cruz, ca. For several months I have been assessing the benefits of joining the united states coast guard (USCG) auxiliary as safety patrol plot. I had decided to join the USCG auxiliary and fly my 1946 small aircraft sel as an official observation aircraft under orders from the coast guard. I met with representatives of the coast guard at the hayward airport on aug/xx/93 and discussed typical missions with them. They indicated that they routinely patrol the petaluma river coast line at 500 ft AGL and suggest that I try a simulated patrol to see if I could safely execute the mission. I decided to simulate a typical mission along the santa clara county coast line the next day. On afternoon, aug/sun/93, at approximately PM00 hours, I refueled my 1946 small aircraft sel at watsonville and had 12 gallons of fuel on board at takeoff. I made a straight out departure on runway 20 at watsonville and 1 passenger who would be my qualified observer if I was on a coast guard patrol. I departed the area on a heading of approximately 270 degree magnetic. I initiated a climb and passed over the cliffs at 500 ft MSL while turning in a northerly direction along the surf line. The beach was sparsely populated in this area as I paralleled the coast line at least 500 ft AGL and 500 ft from the shoreline. Along this section of the beach, there were numerous isolated areas where I could land should the engine fail at this point. I could clearly see occasional swimmers and surfboarders who were off my right wing. The waves were also breaking off my right wing and most surfers were inside the breakers. We were observing several schools of porpoises off my left wing as we headed north. I maintained 500 ft MSL until approaching the concrete pier near aptos. Because of the increased density of sun bathers, I began a climb to 1000 ft MSL before the pier to allow space for an emergency landing should I have an engine failure. I followed the coast line from aptos to pescadero at 1000 ft MSL always outside the surf line which I estimate is at least 500 ft laterally from the beach. I was operating the aircraft at full power in order to break in new rings in #2 and #4 cylinders. The noise generated at 2450 RPM is louder than most small aircraft operating at 500 ft MSL above the surf line. Perhaps the lifeguards sensed that I was low due to the unusually loud sounds.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CFI PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT OPERATED AT BELOW MINIMUM APPROVED ALT OVER SUN BATHERS ON A CONGESTED BEACH.

Narrative: RPT OF LOW FLYING ACFT BTWN WATSONVILLE, CA, AND SANTA CRUZ, CA. FOR SEVERAL MONTHS I HAVE BEEN ASSESSING THE BENEFITS OF JOINING THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD (USCG) AUX AS SAFETY PATROL PLOT. I HAD DECIDED TO JOIN THE USCG AUX AND FLY MY 1946 SMA SEL AS AN OFFICIAL OBSERVATION ACFT UNDER ORDERS FROM THE COAST GUARD. I MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COAST GUARD AT THE HAYWARD ARPT ON AUG/XX/93 AND DISCUSSED TYPICAL MISSIONS WITH THEM. THEY INDICATED THAT THEY ROUTINELY PATROL THE PETALUMA RIVER COAST LINE AT 500 FT AGL AND SUGGEST THAT I TRY A SIMULATED PATROL TO SEE IF I COULD SAFELY EXECUTE THE MISSION. I DECIDED TO SIMULATE A TYPICAL MISSION ALONG THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY COAST LINE THE NEXT DAY. ON AFTERNOON, AUG/SUN/93, AT APPROX PM00 HRS, I REFUELED MY 1946 SMA SEL AT WATSONVILLE AND HAD 12 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD AT TKOF. I MADE A STRAIGHT OUT DEP ON RWY 20 AT WATSONVILLE AND 1 PAX WHO WOULD BE MY QUALIFIED OBSERVER IF I WAS ON A COAST GUARD PATROL. I DEPARTED THE AREA ON A HDG OF APPROX 270 DEG MAGNETIC. I INITIATED A CLB AND PASSED OVER THE CLIFFS AT 500 FT MSL WHILE TURNING IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION ALONG THE SURF LINE. THE BEACH WAS SPARSELY POPULATED IN THIS AREA AS I PARALLELED THE COAST LINE AT LEAST 500 FT AGL AND 500 FT FROM THE SHORELINE. ALONG THIS SECTION OF THE BEACH, THERE WERE NUMEROUS ISOLATED AREAS WHERE I COULD LAND SHOULD THE ENG FAIL AT THIS POINT. I COULD CLRLY SEE OCCASIONAL SWIMMERS AND SURFBOARDERS WHO WERE OFF MY R WING. THE WAVES WERE ALSO BREAKING OFF MY R WING AND MOST SURFERS WERE INSIDE THE BREAKERS. WE WERE OBSERVING SEVERAL SCHOOLS OF PORPOISES OFF MY L WING AS WE HEADED N. I MAINTAINED 500 FT MSL UNTIL APCHING THE CONCRETE PIER NEAR APTOS. BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED DENSITY OF SUN BATHERS, I BEGAN A CLB TO 1000 FT MSL BEFORE THE PIER TO ALLOW SPACE FOR AN EMER LNDG SHOULD I HAVE AN ENG FAILURE. I FOLLOWED THE COAST LINE FROM APTOS TO PESCADERO AT 1000 FT MSL ALWAYS OUTSIDE THE SURF LINE WHICH I ESTIMATE IS AT LEAST 500 FT LATERALLY FROM THE BEACH. I WAS OPERATING THE ACFT AT FULL PWR IN ORDER TO BREAK IN NEW RINGS IN #2 AND #4 CYLINDERS. THE NOISE GENERATED AT 2450 RPM IS LOUDER THAN MOST SMALL ACFT OPERATING AT 500 FT MSL ABOVE THE SURF LINE. PERHAPS THE LIFEGUARDS SENSED THAT I WAS LOW DUE TO THE UNUSUALLY LOUD SOUNDS.

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.