Electrical pwrline patrol aircraft is turned into the FAA for low flying.

Attributes
ACN	286042
Time
Date	199410
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : csq
State Reference	IA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp tower : dtw
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 157 flight time total : 2816 flight time type : 1673
ASRS Report	286042
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On oct/xx/94 I was conducting pwrline patrol in the creston, ia, area. I would try to maintain an altitude of 300 ft AGL while watching for obstacles on the horizon, people on the surface, and pwrline course changes. Because of constantly changing terrain elevations, exact altitude is difficult to estimate. Altitude must be kept higher when flying over/past trees and towns so that I can continue to observe the course of the pwrline. This almost assuredly ensures maintaining 500 ft from people on the surface. Often, while over open fields, I would fly at the lower altitude so that my observer could get a better look at the power poles. I took great care to maintain 500 ft from people. When I noticed people on the surface, I would climb if lower than 500 ft or I would turn and climb to maintain the 500 ft requirement. On a few occasions a person would suddenly emerge from a building or simply appear in view from seemingly nowhere, and it would be too late to avoid them by 500 ft if flying lower than 500 ft. Several times, my observer would wave at people, and I had never seen them as I approached them. On those occasions, if I was lower than 500 ft, it was too late to avoid them by 500 ft. I always tried to maintain a 500 ft separation between my aircraft and people on the surface. At no time was the flight conducted in a manner which was unsafe or which would create any hazard to any person or property. Upon my return to the creston airport, I was informed that there had been many calls from people complaining about my altitude. I was told that one of the callers was a farmer who said I was too low over his farm land, but that he had also threatened to kill his brother, so I shouldn't worry about him. I was not given any other information about any of the callers, except that the law center had also called saying they had received complaints. When I returned to the marion, ia, airport, where I am based, I was told that the FAA had called. Someone in creston reported my n-number to the FAA. The secretary said she told the FAA that I was flying pwrline patrol and the FAA caller said, 'oh, so he has to fly low.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ELECTRICAL PWRLINE PATROL ACFT IS TURNED INTO THE FAA FOR LOW FLYING.

Narrative: ON OCT/XX/94 I WAS CONDUCTING PWRLINE PATROL IN THE CRESTON, IA, AREA. I WOULD TRY TO MAINTAIN AN ALT OF 300 FT AGL WHILE WATCHING FOR OBSTACLES ON THE HORIZON, PEOPLE ON THE SURFACE, AND PWRLINE COURSE CHANGES. BECAUSE OF CONSTANTLY CHANGING TERRAIN ELEVATIONS, EXACT ALT IS DIFFICULT TO ESTIMATE. ALT MUST BE KEPT HIGHER WHEN FLYING OVER/PAST TREES AND TOWNS SO THAT I CAN CONTINUE TO OBSERVE THE COURSE OF THE PWRLINE. THIS ALMOST ASSUREDLY ENSURES MAINTAINING 500 FT FROM PEOPLE ON THE SURFACE. OFTEN, WHILE OVER OPEN FIELDS, I WOULD FLY AT THE LOWER ALT SO THAT MY OBSERVER COULD GET A BETTER LOOK AT THE PWR POLES. I TOOK GREAT CARE TO MAINTAIN 500 FT FROM PEOPLE. WHEN I NOTICED PEOPLE ON THE SURFACE, I WOULD CLB IF LOWER THAN 500 FT OR I WOULD TURN AND CLB TO MAINTAIN THE 500 FT REQUIREMENT. ON A FEW OCCASIONS A PERSON WOULD SUDDENLY EMERGE FROM A BUILDING OR SIMPLY APPEAR IN VIEW FROM SEEMINGLY NOWHERE, AND IT WOULD BE TOO LATE TO AVOID THEM BY 500 FT IF FLYING LOWER THAN 500 FT. SEVERAL TIMES, MY OBSERVER WOULD WAVE AT PEOPLE, AND I HAD NEVER SEEN THEM AS I APCHED THEM. ON THOSE OCCASIONS, IF I WAS LOWER THAN 500 FT, IT WAS TOO LATE TO AVOID THEM BY 500 FT. I ALWAYS TRIED TO MAINTAIN A 500 FT SEPARATION BTWN MY ACFT AND PEOPLE ON THE SURFACE. AT NO TIME WAS THE FLT CONDUCTED IN A MANNER WHICH WAS UNSAFE OR WHICH WOULD CREATE ANY HAZARD TO ANY PERSON OR PROPERTY. UPON MY RETURN TO THE CRESTON ARPT, I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE HAD BEEN MANY CALLS FROM PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT MY ALT. I WAS TOLD THAT ONE OF THE CALLERS WAS A FARMER WHO SAID I WAS TOO LOW OVER HIS FARM LAND, BUT THAT HE HAD ALSO THREATENED TO KILL HIS BROTHER, SO I SHOULDN'T WORRY ABOUT HIM. I WAS NOT GIVEN ANY OTHER INFO ABOUT ANY OF THE CALLERS, EXCEPT THAT THE LAW CTR HAD ALSO CALLED SAYING THEY HAD RECEIVED COMPLAINTS. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE MARION, IA, ARPT, WHERE I AM BASED, I WAS TOLD THAT THE FAA HAD CALLED. SOMEONE IN CRESTON RPTED MY N-NUMBER TO THE FAA. THE SECRETARY SAID SHE TOLD THE FAA THAT I WAS FLYING PWRLINE PATROL AND THE FAA CALLER SAID, 'OH, SO HE HAS TO FLY LOW.'

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.