Narrative:

I was a passenger in an aircraft that was doing aerobatics in a rural area. The aircraft seemed to be under perfect control at all times and did not ever fly over congested airspace though at one time I noticed a building pass under the nose of the aircraft. I later learned that there were 3 FAA aviation safety inspectors standing in the parking lot of that building. The flight was a very short one (5-10 mins total). When we landed the pilot jumped out and I took the aircraft for a local area sightseeing flight. On completion of this second flight, a low pass was made down the airstrip. Following the initial approach and low pass to the south, a non- aerobatic pitch up and rollout maneuver was initiated to change direction, align with the strip and land. Low passes are SOP at this strip and are about the only means available for checking and clearing the airstrip. It is a large wide grass airstrip planted with bahia, bermuda, and fast-growing rye grasses, which are maintained very well, requiring men and equipment to be on the strip quite often. This was the case for this day as well. In addition to the mowing, there was further work in progress with heavy equipment, trucks, and men moving about on the side of the runway. The reason this report is being filed is because the low pass was also witnessed by an FAA aviation safety inspector. He remarked that it was 'reckless operation' and intended to investigate. He also seemed to think that I was piloting the first aerobatic flight. To correct this situation I suppose that we should include in local NOTAMS and in remarks of the airport facility directory comments that low passes are encouraged prior to landing to signal and ascertain that ground crews are clear of the runway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter verified what is stated in report. It appears that the inspectors do not believe that a landing and pilot swap took place. The reporter is a pilot for an airline. Reporter was asked if an ASRS report was filed. Supplemental information from acn 258898: I unintentionally flew over a recently constructed structure after completing a barrel roll. After many yrs of military and civilian flying (since the 1930's) and enjoying every min, I've never endangered the life of anyone and have always remained in control of any aircraft that I've flown. This time I maneuvered too low and too close to structures, unintentionally violating certain FARS. In the future I plan to remain over undeveloped land during maneuvers as well as fly at a more reasonable altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA MAKES A BARREL ROLL AT LOW ALT WITH 3 FAA INSPECTORS WATCHING ON THE GND.

Narrative: I WAS A PAX IN AN ACFT THAT WAS DOING AEROBATICS IN A RURAL AREA. THE ACFT SEEMED TO BE UNDER PERFECT CTL AT ALL TIMES AND DID NOT EVER FLY OVER CONGESTED AIRSPACE THOUGH AT ONE TIME I NOTICED A BUILDING PASS UNDER THE NOSE OF THE ACFT. I LATER LEARNED THAT THERE WERE 3 FAA AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTORS STANDING IN THE PARKING LOT OF THAT BUILDING. THE FLT WAS A VERY SHORT ONE (5-10 MINS TOTAL). WHEN WE LANDED THE PLT JUMPED OUT AND I TOOK THE ACFT FOR A LCL AREA SIGHTSEEING FLT. ON COMPLETION OF THIS SECOND FLT, A LOW PASS WAS MADE DOWN THE AIRSTRIP. FOLLOWING THE INITIAL APCH AND LOW PASS TO THE S, A NON- AEROBATIC PITCH UP AND ROLLOUT MANEUVER WAS INITIATED TO CHANGE DIRECTION, ALIGN WITH THE STRIP AND LAND. LOW PASSES ARE SOP AT THIS STRIP AND ARE ABOUT THE ONLY MEANS AVAILABLE FOR CHKING AND CLRING THE AIRSTRIP. IT IS A LARGE WIDE GRASS AIRSTRIP PLANTED WITH BAHIA, BERMUDA, AND FAST-GROWING RYE GRASSES, WHICH ARE MAINTAINED VERY WELL, REQUIRING MEN AND EQUIP TO BE ON THE STRIP QUITE OFTEN. THIS WAS THE CASE FOR THIS DAY AS WELL. IN ADDITION TO THE MOWING, THERE WAS FURTHER WORK IN PROGRESS WITH HVY EQUIP, TRUCKS, AND MEN MOVING ABOUT ON THE SIDE OF THE RWY. THE REASON THIS RPT IS BEING FILED IS BECAUSE THE LOW PASS WAS ALSO WITNESSED BY AN FAA AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR. HE REMARKED THAT IT WAS 'RECKLESS OP' AND INTENDED TO INVESTIGATE. HE ALSO SEEMED TO THINK THAT I WAS PILOTING THE FIRST AEROBATIC FLT. TO CORRECT THIS SIT I SUPPOSE THAT WE SHOULD INCLUDE IN LCL NOTAMS AND IN REMARKS OF THE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY COMMENTS THAT LOW PASSES ARE ENCOURAGED PRIOR TO LNDG TO SIGNAL AND ASCERTAIN THAT GND CREWS ARE CLR OF THE RWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR VERIFIED WHAT IS STATED IN RPT. IT APPEARS THAT THE INSPECTORS DO NOT BELIEVE THAT A LNDG AND PLT SWAP TOOK PLACE. THE RPTR IS A PLT FOR AN AIRLINE. RPTR WAS ASKED IF AN ASRS RPT WAS FILED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 258898: I UNINTENTIONALLY FLEW OVER A RECENTLY CONSTRUCTED STRUCTURE AFTER COMPLETING A BARREL ROLL. AFTER MANY YRS OF MIL AND CIVILIAN FLYING (SINCE THE 1930'S) AND ENJOYING EVERY MIN, I'VE NEVER ENDANGERED THE LIFE OF ANYONE AND HAVE ALWAYS REMAINED IN CTL OF ANY ACFT THAT I'VE FLOWN. THIS TIME I MANEUVERED TOO LOW AND TOO CLOSE TO STRUCTURES, UNINTENTIONALLY VIOLATING CERTAIN FARS. IN THE FUTURE I PLAN TO REMAIN OVER UNDEVELOPED LAND DURING MANEUVERS AS WELL AS FLY AT A MORE REASONABLE ALT.

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.