Narrative:

I rented a cessna 150 aircraft at the st mary's county airport, md. The purpose of the flight was pleasure. This included a low flyby of the opening of a local charitable organization's wkend party. This was followed by 4 or 5 additional passes across the field to drop small felt bags (approximately 1.5 inches by 2.5 inches) that contained souvenirs of the event (key chains, bumper stickers, etc). I had not really planned to conduct this flight, however the pilot that had agreed to do it called me the day before and told me that he did not have a current medical certificate, and he couldn't rent the airplane. I agreed to rent the airplane, and act as PIC for the flight. We met 1 hour before the flight to brief the flight, and preflight the aircraft. We had decided at the brief that we would make our low passes heading from north to south and position the aircraft to the west of the crowd. This would be followed by a 270 degree turn to the right to head east with r-hand racetracks for the souvenir drops. I made our first pass of the field heading south, at an altitude of approximately 25 ft, airspeed 105 mph. These passes ended in a pull-up to approximately 150 ft, and a reduction in airspeed to 85-90 mph. At this point, the right side window was opened to drop the souvenirs, and 4 or 5 passes were made of the field on a west to east heading at approximately 50 ft to 80 ft (tree tops). At the completion of the drops, I made 1 final pass at approximately 15 ft on a heading of south with a pull-up and aileron rocking of the wings. We continued our climb to 1000 ft, and returned to the st mary's county airport. During both the low passes, and the drop passes I flew over small groups of people in the crowd. While this is a rural area, the area I overflew had approximately 200-250 people spread over a 7 acre grass and soybean field. No one was injured during any phase of the flight, but the risk was always there for pilot error (other than the obvious ones), engine or airframe failure, bird strike, etc. In retrospect, I can't say why I agreed to do this, other than to please a crowd. This attempt risked the lives of the people I was trying to please, additionally put the owners of the aircraft in legal jeopardy. While they didn't know what I intended to do that day, they may have had to prove that to a jury. It was stupid. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he now knows that he or his friend should have contacted FAA for permission for a fly over. He has learned a lot in hindsight. He feels quite fortunate that he has heard nothing from the FAA at this point. He did state that he knows it was dumb!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C-150 PLT MAKES A LOW FLT OVER CHARITABLE EVENT TO DROP SOUVENIRS.

Narrative: I RENTED A CESSNA 150 ACFT AT THE ST MARY'S COUNTY ARPT, MD. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS PLEASURE. THIS INCLUDED A LOW FLYBY OF THE OPENING OF A LCL CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION'S WKEND PARTY. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY 4 OR 5 ADDITIONAL PASSES ACROSS THE FIELD TO DROP SMALL FELT BAGS (APPROX 1.5 INCHES BY 2.5 INCHES) THAT CONTAINED SOUVENIRS OF THE EVENT (KEY CHAINS, BUMPER STICKERS, ETC). I HAD NOT REALLY PLANNED TO CONDUCT THIS FLT, HOWEVER THE PLT THAT HAD AGREED TO DO IT CALLED ME THE DAY BEFORE AND TOLD ME THAT HE DID NOT HAVE A CURRENT MEDICAL CERTIFICATE, AND HE COULDN'T RENT THE AIRPLANE. I AGREED TO RENT THE AIRPLANE, AND ACT AS PIC FOR THE FLT. WE MET 1 HR BEFORE THE FLT TO BRIEF THE FLT, AND PREFLT THE ACFT. WE HAD DECIDED AT THE BRIEF THAT WE WOULD MAKE OUR LOW PASSES HEADING FROM N TO S AND POS THE ACFT TO THE W OF THE CROWD. THIS WOULD BE FOLLOWED BY A 270 DEG TURN TO THE R TO HEAD E WITH R-HAND RACETRACKS FOR THE SOUVENIR DROPS. I MADE OUR FIRST PASS OF THE FIELD HEADING S, AT AN ALT OF APPROX 25 FT, AIRSPD 105 MPH. THESE PASSES ENDED IN A PULL-UP TO APPROX 150 FT, AND A REDUCTION IN AIRSPD TO 85-90 MPH. AT THIS POINT, THE R SIDE WINDOW WAS OPENED TO DROP THE SOUVENIRS, AND 4 OR 5 PASSES WERE MADE OF THE FIELD ON A W TO E HDG AT APPROX 50 FT TO 80 FT (TREE TOPS). AT THE COMPLETION OF THE DROPS, I MADE 1 FINAL PASS AT APPROX 15 FT ON A HDG OF S WITH A PULL-UP AND AILERON ROCKING OF THE WINGS. WE CONTINUED OUR CLB TO 1000 FT, AND RETURNED TO THE ST MARY'S COUNTY ARPT. DURING BOTH THE LOW PASSES, AND THE DROP PASSES I FLEW OVER SMALL GROUPS OF PEOPLE IN THE CROWD. WHILE THIS IS A RURAL AREA, THE AREA I OVERFLEW HAD APPROX 200-250 PEOPLE SPREAD OVER A 7 ACRE GRASS AND SOYBEAN FIELD. NO ONE WAS INJURED DURING ANY PHASE OF THE FLT, BUT THE RISK WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR PLT ERROR (OTHER THAN THE OBVIOUS ONES), ENG OR AIRFRAME FAILURE, BIRD STRIKE, ETC. IN RETROSPECT, I CAN'T SAY WHY I AGREED TO DO THIS, OTHER THAN TO PLEASE A CROWD. THIS ATTEMPT RISKED THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE I WAS TRYING TO PLEASE, ADDITIONALLY PUT THE OWNERS OF THE ACFT IN LEGAL JEOPARDY. WHILE THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I INTENDED TO DO THAT DAY, THEY MAY HAVE HAD TO PROVE THAT TO A JURY. IT WAS STUPID. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE NOW KNOWS THAT HE OR HIS FRIEND SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED FAA FOR PERMISSION FOR A FLY OVER. HE HAS LEARNED A LOT IN HINDSIGHT. HE FEELS QUITE FORTUNATE THAT HE HAS HEARD NOTHING FROM THE FAA AT THIS POINT. HE DID STATE THAT HE KNOWS IT WAS DUMB!

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.