Narrative:

I am a pilot for a helicopter tour company on the island of kauai, hi. On this day sfar 71 took effect. Section 6 of this sfar states that air tours in hawaii may not be conducted below 1500 ft AGL, or closer than 1500 ft to any person or property. This event took place at the waimea canyon, which is about 2 mi wide and 3000 ft deep. I flew up the middle of the canyon, nwbound, climbing from 3500 ft to an intended altitude of 5000 ft. 5000 ft would have enabled me to cross the 3500 ft southwest rim of the canyon legally (1500 ft AGL). And climbing up the middle of the canyon was also legal, as I was more than 1500 ft laterally from either side. Flying at my company's maximum continuous power setting (which is substantially less than the actual aircraft maximum continuous power), I wasn't able to get any higher than 4000 ft. This was too low to legally cross the 3500 ft southwest rim, my intended canyon departure point. So I turned 180 degrees left, back toward the lower part of the canyon where I could exit without violating the new sfar. This left turn took me closer to the southwest rim than I had intended to go, and possibly closer than 1500 ft. It was several seconds before I was able to get comfortably away from that side of the canyon, and back to what I was sure was more than 1500 ft from the ridge. I then proceeded 3 mi southeast toward the lower part of the canyon, and exited over the ridge when I had a comfortable 1500 ft clearance. I don't perceive any safety of flight issues in this incident, but there is a judgement issue. I didn't think this sfar was really going into effect, as written, on the published effective date. The helicopter association was putting up heavy resistance to this new set of regulations, and nobody in the business really thought it was going to take effect. As a result, I was not as prepared to fly the adjusted tour rtes required by this change as I could have been. If I had experimented with adjusted flight patterns in the weeks before the rule change, I would have been more familiar with exactly how to handle flying in the waimea canyon under the new regulations. Another thought is that I could have turned immediately away from the ridge when I thought I might be too close. Rather than take decisive action, I was passive and held my current heading. This did take me away from the close ridge, but not immediately.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI TOUR PLT FAILED TO STAY AT THE MINIMUM ALT PRESCRIBED IN A NEW SPECIAL FAR FOR THE AREA.

Narrative: I AM A PLT FOR A HELI TOUR COMPANY ON THE ISLAND OF KAUAI, HI. ON THIS DAY SFAR 71 TOOK EFFECT. SECTION 6 OF THIS SFAR STATES THAT AIR TOURS IN HAWAII MAY NOT BE CONDUCTED BELOW 1500 FT AGL, OR CLOSER THAN 1500 FT TO ANY PERSON OR PROPERTY. THIS EVENT TOOK PLACE AT THE WAIMEA CANYON, WHICH IS ABOUT 2 MI WIDE AND 3000 FT DEEP. I FLEW UP THE MIDDLE OF THE CANYON, NWBOUND, CLBING FROM 3500 FT TO AN INTENDED ALT OF 5000 FT. 5000 FT WOULD HAVE ENABLED ME TO CROSS THE 3500 FT SW RIM OF THE CANYON LEGALLY (1500 FT AGL). AND CLBING UP THE MIDDLE OF THE CANYON WAS ALSO LEGAL, AS I WAS MORE THAN 1500 FT LATERALLY FROM EITHER SIDE. FLYING AT MY COMPANY'S MAX CONTINUOUS PWR SETTING (WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE ACTUAL ACFT MAX CONTINUOUS PWR), I WASN'T ABLE TO GET ANY HIGHER THAN 4000 FT. THIS WAS TOO LOW TO LEGALLY CROSS THE 3500 FT SW RIM, MY INTENDED CANYON DEP POINT. SO I TURNED 180 DEGS L, BACK TOWARD THE LOWER PART OF THE CANYON WHERE I COULD EXIT WITHOUT VIOLATING THE NEW SFAR. THIS L TURN TOOK ME CLOSER TO THE SW RIM THAN I HAD INTENDED TO GO, AND POSSIBLY CLOSER THAN 1500 FT. IT WAS SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GET COMFORTABLY AWAY FROM THAT SIDE OF THE CANYON, AND BACK TO WHAT I WAS SURE WAS MORE THAN 1500 FT FROM THE RIDGE. I THEN PROCEEDED 3 MI SE TOWARD THE LOWER PART OF THE CANYON, AND EXITED OVER THE RIDGE WHEN I HAD A COMFORTABLE 1500 FT CLRNC. I DON'T PERCEIVE ANY SAFETY OF FLT ISSUES IN THIS INCIDENT, BUT THERE IS A JUDGEMENT ISSUE. I DIDN'T THINK THIS SFAR WAS REALLY GOING INTO EFFECT, AS WRITTEN, ON THE PUBLISHED EFFECTIVE DATE. THE HELI ASSOCIATION WAS PUTTING UP HVY RESISTANCE TO THIS NEW SET OF REGS, AND NOBODY IN THE BUSINESS REALLY THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO TAKE EFFECT. AS A RESULT, I WAS NOT AS PREPARED TO FLY THE ADJUSTED TOUR RTES REQUIRED BY THIS CHANGE AS I COULD HAVE BEEN. IF I HAD EXPERIMENTED WITH ADJUSTED FLT PATTERNS IN THE WKS BEFORE THE RULE CHANGE, I WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE FAMILIAR WITH EXACTLY HOW TO HANDLE FLYING IN THE WAIMEA CANYON UNDER THE NEW REGS. ANOTHER THOUGHT IS THAT I COULD HAVE TURNED IMMEDIATELY AWAY FROM THE RIDGE WHEN I THOUGHT I MIGHT BE TOO CLOSE. RATHER THAN TAKE DECISIVE ACTION, I WAS PASSIVE AND HELD MY CURRENT HDG. THIS DID TAKE ME AWAY FROM THE CLOSE RIDGE, BUT NOT IMMEDIATELY.

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.