Narrative:

On nov/xx/94 I left kona airport and was on an island tour and after 40 mins in to the flight I had to turn around due to the WX changing. Rain cells came in off shore rather quickly so for visibility and safety I needed to reduce my altitude to around 800-500 ft AGL, thus breaking sfar 71. Sfar 71 has and is still bringing problems in to hawaii and is a very dangerous rule making everyone in the same altitude. For the last month we had clouds on the shoreline 1500- 2000 ft AGL. Now that puts us in a paper thin layer with 12 companies of helicopters and 5 airplane tour companies all together. This is crazy. Please help us before someone's father or family dies. Before we could separate a lot safer. Under 135 rules and for a pilot I feel more unsafe now because of this. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he does not think anyone else was aware of his excursion but that is part of the problem with the new regulation. The FAA has people with binoculars checking out aircraft altitudes. This creates such tension and pressure that it makes for unsafe flying. Because of this problem the aircraft do not announce altitudes as they used to prior to this sfar. Now things have become very competitive among the many companies as flts often are canceled and pilots are being laid off. This concern only adds to an unsafe flying atmosphere. The FAA is now allowing the 'big island' an exception to the rule. They may fly at 1500 ft and must remain 500 ft from other aircraft and clouds. Reporter feels that the added altitude does not really enhance the safety of locating an emergency landing site. He feels for a helicopter it is better to be constantly looking for such a sight from lower altitude as the ideal can be spotted better. Reporter has had experience with companies that push beyond proper safety measures and they needed this rule. He left one such company because he refused to do so. Not all companies do this however and they are being punished due to the others. He hopes the FAA will find an acceptable compromise.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI ON TOUR DSNDS BELOW ALT ALLOWED IN SFAR 71.

Narrative: ON NOV/XX/94 I LEFT KONA ARPT AND WAS ON AN ISLAND TOUR AND AFTER 40 MINS IN TO THE FLT I HAD TO TURN AROUND DUE TO THE WX CHANGING. RAIN CELLS CAME IN OFF SHORE RATHER QUICKLY SO FOR VISIBILITY AND SAFETY I NEEDED TO REDUCE MY ALT TO AROUND 800-500 FT AGL, THUS BREAKING SFAR 71. SFAR 71 HAS AND IS STILL BRINGING PROBS IN TO HAWAII AND IS A VERY DANGEROUS RULE MAKING EVERYONE IN THE SAME ALT. FOR THE LAST MONTH WE HAD CLOUDS ON THE SHORELINE 1500- 2000 FT AGL. NOW THAT PUTS US IN A PAPER THIN LAYER WITH 12 COMPANIES OF HELIS AND 5 AIRPLANE TOUR COMPANIES ALL TOGETHER. THIS IS CRAZY. PLEASE HELP US BEFORE SOMEONE'S FATHER OR FAMILY DIES. BEFORE WE COULD SEPARATE A LOT SAFER. UNDER 135 RULES AND FOR A PLT I FEEL MORE UNSAFE NOW BECAUSE OF THIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE DOES NOT THINK ANYONE ELSE WAS AWARE OF HIS EXCURSION BUT THAT IS PART OF THE PROB WITH THE NEW REG. THE FAA HAS PEOPLE WITH BINOCULARS CHKING OUT ACFT ALTS. THIS CREATES SUCH TENSION AND PRESSURE THAT IT MAKES FOR UNSAFE FLYING. BECAUSE OF THIS PROB THE ACFT DO NOT ANNOUNCE ALTS AS THEY USED TO PRIOR TO THIS SFAR. NOW THINGS HAVE BECOME VERY COMPETITIVE AMONG THE MANY COMPANIES AS FLTS OFTEN ARE CANCELED AND PLTS ARE BEING LAID OFF. THIS CONCERN ONLY ADDS TO AN UNSAFE FLYING ATMOSPHERE. THE FAA IS NOW ALLOWING THE 'BIG ISLAND' AN EXCEPTION TO THE RULE. THEY MAY FLY AT 1500 FT AND MUST REMAIN 500 FT FROM OTHER ACFT AND CLOUDS. RPTR FEELS THAT THE ADDED ALT DOES NOT REALLY ENHANCE THE SAFETY OF LOCATING AN EMER LNDG SITE. HE FEELS FOR A HELI IT IS BETTER TO BE CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR SUCH A SIGHT FROM LOWER ALT AS THE IDEAL CAN BE SPOTTED BETTER. RPTR HAS HAD EXPERIENCE WITH COMPANIES THAT PUSH BEYOND PROPER SAFETY MEASURES AND THEY NEEDED THIS RULE. HE LEFT ONE SUCH COMPANY BECAUSE HE REFUSED TO DO SO. NOT ALL COMPANIES DO THIS HOWEVER AND THEY ARE BEING PUNISHED DUE TO THE OTHERS. HE HOPES THE FAA WILL FIND AN ACCEPTABLE COMPROMISE.

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.