Flight between buildings in ord sightseeing flight.

Attributes
ACN	257390
Time
Date	199311
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mdw airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1700 msl bound upper : 1700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord tower : roc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	257390
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I flew the aircraft over downtown chicago area on a sightseeing flight. I flew close to ord and mdw and I don't think I went through their airspace. I flew over meigs field and made a left turn over the water and came back over the city near the buildings. There was no problem except I came down over the buildings. There were 2 towers, the sears tower and john hancock building which I came between. I should have kept my altitude higher than I was because of the buildings on either side. I believe my altitude was 1700 ft MSL. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he knows about 91.119 far and thought he was keeping the 2000 ft horizontal distance but then sighted the second tower. Cannot stay any higher than he did due to being under the class B airspace. Also stated that meigs field tower was closed so the class D airspace was not active. Analyst suggested other aspects of the FARS, including being able to glide to safety if engine failed. Of course, reporter then stated he had a twin engine aircraft. He has more faith in the single engine performance capabilities than most multi-engine pilots. He will most likely not change his thinking of any careless action.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT BTWN BUILDINGS IN ORD SIGHTSEEING FLT.

Narrative: I FLEW THE ACFT OVER DOWNTOWN CHICAGO AREA ON A SIGHTSEEING FLT. I FLEW CLOSE TO ORD AND MDW AND I DON'T THINK I WENT THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE. I FLEW OVER MEIGS FIELD AND MADE A L TURN OVER THE WATER AND CAME BACK OVER THE CITY NEAR THE BUILDINGS. THERE WAS NO PROB EXCEPT I CAME DOWN OVER THE BUILDINGS. THERE WERE 2 TWRS, THE SEARS TWR AND JOHN HANCOCK BUILDING WHICH I CAME BTWN. I SHOULD HAVE KEPT MY ALT HIGHER THAN I WAS BECAUSE OF THE BUILDINGS ON EITHER SIDE. I BELIEVE MY ALT WAS 1700 FT MSL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE KNOWS ABOUT 91.119 FAR AND THOUGHT HE WAS KEEPING THE 2000 FT HORIZ DISTANCE BUT THEN SIGHTED THE SECOND TWR. CANNOT STAY ANY HIGHER THAN HE DID DUE TO BEING UNDER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. ALSO STATED THAT MEIGS FIELD TWR WAS CLOSED SO THE CLASS D AIRSPACE WAS NOT ACTIVE. ANALYST SUGGESTED OTHER ASPECTS OF THE FARS, INCLUDING BEING ABLE TO GLIDE TO SAFETY IF ENG FAILED. OF COURSE, RPTR THEN STATED HE HAD A TWIN ENG ACFT. HE HAS MORE FAITH IN THE SINGLE ENG PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES THAN MOST MULTI-ENG PLTS. HE WILL MOST LIKELY NOT CHANGE HIS THINKING OF ANY CARELESS ACTION.

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.