Inadvertent low altitude civil operation flies in proximity to obstruction buildings.

Attributes
ACN	261154
Time
Date	199401
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ftg airport : gxy
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5900 msl bound upper : 5900
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Cessna 150
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 42 flight time total : 91 flight time type : 84
ASRS Report	261154
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were returning from greeley airport (gxy) and was looking for my passenger friend's farm at an altitude of 6000 ft MSL. Passing van aire we followed a dirt road looking for the farm. My passenger did not recognize area. While I was looking at stapleton TCA chart and flying the airplane we came to a small cluster of homes not seen on the chart. I engaged full power and climbed out of the area to the east then climbed to 7000 ft and returned to ftc. I believe there should have been 1000 ft separation between us at the homes. The terrain was rising in this area and because of our low altitude in looking for the farm we may have been even lower that 500 ft AGL.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INADVERTENT LOW ALT CIVIL OP FLIES IN PROX TO OBSTRUCTION BUILDINGS.

Narrative: WE WERE RETURNING FROM GREELEY ARPT (GXY) AND WAS LOOKING FOR MY PAX FRIEND'S FARM AT AN ALT OF 6000 FT MSL. PASSING VAN AIRE WE FOLLOWED A DIRT ROAD LOOKING FOR THE FARM. MY PAX DID NOT RECOGNIZE AREA. WHILE I WAS LOOKING AT STAPLETON TCA CHART AND FLYING THE AIRPLANE WE CAME TO A SMALL CLUSTER OF HOMES NOT SEEN ON THE CHART. I ENGAGED FULL PWR AND CLBED OUT OF THE AREA TO THE E THEN CLBED TO 7000 FT AND RETURNED TO FTC. I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN 1000 FT SEPARATION BTWN US AT THE HOMES. THE TERRAIN WAS RISING IN THIS AREA AND BECAUSE OF OUR LOW ALT IN LOOKING FOR THE FARM WE MAY HAVE BEEN EVEN LOWER THAT 500 FT AGL.

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.