Narrative:

The occurrence in question took place during a recent vacation in the new york city area. As a private pilot from northern california, I was unfamiliar with the new york airspace and spent the majority of the chkout asking questions about local procedures. After the chkout, I returned to rent a plane for a pleasure/scenic flight. As PIC, I departed straight out on runway 19 from frg airport and proceeded over the coastline. The initial cruise altitude was 1000 ft MSL until I was clear of the shoreline. Once clear, I descended to an altitude of 500 ft MSL and flew a short tour of the bay. Following this was a trip over fire island and out over the ocean. While over the ocean at 500 ft MSL, I had a non flying passenger who asked if we could fly lower. I responded that it was not a safe thing to do, but he proceeded to pressure me to descend. I subsequently succumbed to the pressure and flew the coastline, over the ocean while parallel to the beach, at approximately 1/4 mi from the shore (wbound), level at 200 ft MSL. Shortly after descending to the lower altitude, a helicopter appeared below us at 2 O'clock departing from a heliport (not marked on the new york sectional). At that point, I initiated a climbing left turn and returned to 1100 ft and completed the flight and returned to republic. Shortly after I contacted the tower for landing, the rotorcraft also reported in, as a police helicopter, and followed my aircraft to the field where I was threatened with civil penalties for violating what he perceived to be a violation of the FARS for MSA's. Even though I was over the ocean and clear of the beach, I do believe that flying at the above mentioned altitude was risky considering I was unfamiliar with the area. The lesson learned was one of passenger pressure versus good pilot judgement. Don't give in. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the pilot acknowledges that he did fly as low as 200 ft asl in his rented piper PA28-140 cherokee. He has not heard from the police department or the FAA since. He did call the FBO about a month ago and they have not been contacted recently either.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW ALT CIVIL OP. A PVT PLT IS ACCUSED OF LOW FLYING OFFSHORE BY LCL POLICE.

Narrative: THE OCCURRENCE IN QUESTION TOOK PLACE DURING A RECENT VACATION IN THE NEW YORK CITY AREA. AS A PVT PLT FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE NEW YORK AIRSPACE AND SPENT THE MAJORITY OF THE CHKOUT ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT LCL PROCS. AFTER THE CHKOUT, I RETURNED TO RENT A PLANE FOR A PLEASURE/SCENIC FLT. AS PIC, I DEPARTED STRAIGHT OUT ON RWY 19 FROM FRG ARPT AND PROCEEDED OVER THE COASTLINE. THE INITIAL CRUISE ALT WAS 1000 FT MSL UNTIL I WAS CLR OF THE SHORELINE. ONCE CLR, I DSNDED TO AN ALT OF 500 FT MSL AND FLEW A SHORT TOUR OF THE BAY. FOLLOWING THIS WAS A TRIP OVER FIRE ISLAND AND OUT OVER THE OCEAN. WHILE OVER THE OCEAN AT 500 FT MSL, I HAD A NON FLYING PAX WHO ASKED IF WE COULD FLY LOWER. I RESPONDED THAT IT WAS NOT A SAFE THING TO DO, BUT HE PROCEEDED TO PRESSURE ME TO DSND. I SUBSEQUENTLY SUCCUMBED TO THE PRESSURE AND FLEW THE COASTLINE, OVER THE OCEAN WHILE PARALLEL TO THE BEACH, AT APPROX 1/4 MI FROM THE SHORE (WBOUND), LEVEL AT 200 FT MSL. SHORTLY AFTER DSNDING TO THE LOWER ALT, A HELI APPEARED BELOW US AT 2 O'CLOCK DEPARTING FROM A HELIPORT (NOT MARKED ON THE NEW YORK SECTIONAL). AT THAT POINT, I INITIATED A CLBING L TURN AND RETURNED TO 1100 FT AND COMPLETED THE FLT AND RETURNED TO REPUBLIC. SHORTLY AFTER I CONTACTED THE TWR FOR LNDG, THE ROTORCRAFT ALSO RPTED IN, AS A POLICE HELI, AND FOLLOWED MY ACFT TO THE FIELD WHERE I WAS THREATENED WITH CIVIL PENALTIES FOR VIOLATING WHAT HE PERCEIVED TO BE A VIOLATION OF THE FARS FOR MSA'S. EVEN THOUGH I WAS OVER THE OCEAN AND CLR OF THE BEACH, I DO BELIEVE THAT FLYING AT THE ABOVE MENTIONED ALT WAS RISKY CONSIDERING I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. THE LESSON LEARNED WAS ONE OF PAX PRESSURE VERSUS GOOD PLT JUDGEMENT. DON'T GIVE IN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HE DID FLY AS LOW AS 200 FT ASL IN HIS RENTED PIPER PA28-140 CHEROKEE. HE HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE POLICE DEPT OR THE FAA SINCE. HE DID CALL THE FBO ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED RECENTLY EITHER.

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.