Narrative:

I was flying out of town guests on a sight-seeing flight heading south along the coast of massachusetts about 20 DME south of boston. Flying about 1500-2000 ft off shore, I descended to 500-600 ft above the ocean, dropped about 20 degrees flaps at about 60 percent power. As I approached the mouth of cohassett harbor (land being off my starboard side) my passenger noted an unusual house on the point of land at the edge of the land fall. I turned west flying up the waterway toward the harbor to provide a better view and then proceeded to turn 180 degrees to head out to sea again. As I began the turn, 1 passenger complained of nausea and was concerned that she might be sick. I tried to minimize the bank of the aircraft and upon scanning, noted my altitude had decreased to about 350 ft and I was uncomfortably close to a house on the opposite bank of the waterway and to 1 or 2 sail boats in the waterway (the waterway is about 1/2 - 3/4 mi wide at the point and the banks are sparsely settled). I was marginally close to the dwelling but I think more than 500 ft. The sail boats may have been closer. As soon as I observed the situation being close to critical I immediately applied full power and proceeded to climb to 1000 ft or more. Corrective action: to avoid future possibilities of such occurrences, I would fly with a greater buffer in altitude, ie, at 800-1000 ft rather than 500-600 ft to allow for 100-300 ft deviations that might occur due to distrs or other short term inattn. Similarly, when flying over congested areas, a 300-500 ft buffer over AGL minimums will be added. Work to '0' tolerance for altitude control in all flying sits, both VFR and IFR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA GETS TOO CLOSE TO TERRAIN AND POPULATED AREA ON SIGHT-SEEING TRIP.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING OUT OF TOWN GUESTS ON A SIGHT-SEEING FLT HDG S ALONG THE COAST OF MASSACHUSETTS ABOUT 20 DME S OF BOSTON. FLYING ABOUT 1500-2000 FT OFF SHORE, I DSNDED TO 500-600 FT ABOVE THE OCEAN, DROPPED ABOUT 20 DEGS FLAPS AT ABOUT 60 PERCENT PWR. AS I APCHED THE MOUTH OF COHASSETT HARBOR (LAND BEING OFF MY STARBOARD SIDE) MY PAX NOTED AN UNUSUAL HOUSE ON THE POINT OF LAND AT THE EDGE OF THE LAND FALL. I TURNED W FLYING UP THE WATERWAY TOWARD THE HARBOR TO PROVIDE A BETTER VIEW AND THEN PROCEEDED TO TURN 180 DEGS TO HEAD OUT TO SEA AGAIN. AS I BEGAN THE TURN, 1 PAX COMPLAINED OF NAUSEA AND WAS CONCERNED THAT SHE MIGHT BE SICK. I TRIED TO MINIMIZE THE BANK OF THE ACFT AND UPON SCANNING, NOTED MY ALT HAD DECREASED TO ABOUT 350 FT AND I WAS UNCOMFORTABLY CLOSE TO A HOUSE ON THE OPPOSITE BANK OF THE WATERWAY AND TO 1 OR 2 SAIL BOATS IN THE WATERWAY (THE WATERWAY IS ABOUT 1/2 - 3/4 MI WIDE AT THE POINT AND THE BANKS ARE SPARSELY SETTLED). I WAS MARGINALLY CLOSE TO THE DWELLING BUT I THINK MORE THAN 500 FT. THE SAIL BOATS MAY HAVE BEEN CLOSER. AS SOON AS I OBSERVED THE SIT BEING CLOSE TO CRITICAL I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED FULL PWR AND PROCEEDED TO CLB TO 1000 FT OR MORE. CORRECTIVE ACTION: TO AVOID FUTURE POSSIBILITIES OF SUCH OCCURRENCES, I WOULD FLY WITH A GREATER BUFFER IN ALT, IE, AT 800-1000 FT RATHER THAN 500-600 FT TO ALLOW FOR 100-300 FT DEVS THAT MIGHT OCCUR DUE TO DISTRS OR OTHER SHORT TERM INATTN. SIMILARLY, WHEN FLYING OVER CONGESTED AREAS, A 300-500 FT BUFFER OVER AGL MINIMUMS WILL BE ADDED. WORK TO '0' TOLERANCE FOR ALT CTL IN ALL FLYING SITS, BOTH VFR AND IFR.

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.