Narrative:

This letter is a letter of concern and apology regarding my far minimum altitude violation in a cessna 152. The violation was made over cupertino, ca, on a 1 hour flight out of sjc on saturday. A brief statement was taken from me by the 'airport operations manager' at sjc. This statement was taken before I accurately and completely 'realized' what I had really done. I would like to explain my position on this issue and extend my sincerest apology for the unnecessary and unintentional violation. Prior to the violation, more specifically, on mar/fri/96, I had just received my solo endorsement after completing flight '10' on my part 141 flight training curriculum. The next day turned out to be an ideal day for flying so I decided to exercise my newfound privilege of solo flight. I planned to fly to the lexington reservoir practice area to practice some elementary maneuvers. After lexington I decided to fly over my lifelong hometown, cupertino. At this point I was maintaining proper altitude. Throughout the entire flight, my first solo flight away from the airport, I was attempting to pay utmost attention to all details of the flight. Quite frankly, I was very excited to be flying as PIC of an aircraft for the first time, alone. My attention to the flight and aircraft were occupying my entire thought process. While flying over cupertino, I noticed the house of a good friend. While circling and observing this house my friend and his father exited the house and began waving to me. I was very enthused and proud to be noticed so I continued to circle for 2 mins. After this time, I decided to proceed back to sjc to land. When I looked at my instruments to establish a cruise climb, I noticed my altitude. I had been slowly descending while circling which I had not realized. When I noticed my low altitude, more specifically 800 ft, I immediately established a climb to regain proper altitude and return to the airport. At the time I discovered my low altitude, I was worried about being too low, and was happy to regain proper altitude. I had no idea what kind of response I had gotten from spectators on the ground until I landed. After discovering that many people had called 911 and complained, I felt absolutely terrible and ashamed. I did not intend to disturb, harass, or upset anyone and I feel extremely embarrassed, ashamed, and worried about what happened. I spoke with an FAA principal operations inspector. An addition he suggested making in my statement was to explain the emphasis put on minimum altitudes in my prior flight instruction. The 1000 ft minimum altitude over a populated area rule has appeared occasionally in my instruction both verbally and in my textbooks. I have been asked, on quizzes, and verbally, in the past, what the minimum altitude requirement over a populated area was, in which I answered correctly, along with many other questions pertaining to all aspects of flying. I have not been instructed in the past about what happens or what is supposed to be done if an far is violated, nor was any extra emphasis put on the minimum altitude rule. In my prior instruction, all far related issues were emphasized similarly. I have obtained a topographical map of the part of cupertino that I was flying over, to illustrate exactly where I was flying. As noted on the map, the ground altitude of the exact area I was circling ranged from 360 ft to 380 ft above sea level. The lowest reading that I observed on my altimeter was 800 ft. As noted, at that point I immediately initiated a climb and proceeded back to the airport. An additional fact to note is that my altimeter was set to the current ATIS at sjc when I took off. In conclusion, after calculating these figures you can see that I was no less than 420 ft AGL while flying over cupertino. Once again, I am extending my sincerest apology and regret to what I have done. I am classifying this incident as possibly one of the most important lessons learned in my entire flying career.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI ON FIRST FLT AWAY FROM ARPT MAKES LOW ALT FLT OVER HOMES.

Narrative: THIS LETTER IS A LETTER OF CONCERN AND APOLOGY REGARDING MY FAR MINIMUM ALT VIOLATION IN A CESSNA 152. THE VIOLATION WAS MADE OVER CUPERTINO, CA, ON A 1 HR FLT OUT OF SJC ON SATURDAY. A BRIEF STATEMENT WAS TAKEN FROM ME BY THE 'ARPT OPS MGR' AT SJC. THIS STATEMENT WAS TAKEN BEFORE I ACCURATELY AND COMPLETELY 'REALIZED' WHAT I HAD REALLY DONE. I WOULD LIKE TO EXPLAIN MY POS ON THIS ISSUE AND EXTEND MY SINCEREST APOLOGY FOR THE UNNECESSARY AND UNINTENTIONAL VIOLATION. PRIOR TO THE VIOLATION, MORE SPECIFICALLY, ON MAR/FRI/96, I HAD JUST RECEIVED MY SOLO ENDORSEMENT AFTER COMPLETING FLT '10' ON MY PART 141 FLT TRAINING CURRICULUM. THE NEXT DAY TURNED OUT TO BE AN IDEAL DAY FOR FLYING SO I DECIDED TO EXERCISE MY NEWFOUND PRIVILEGE OF SOLO FLT. I PLANNED TO FLY TO THE LEXINGTON RESERVOIR PRACTICE AREA TO PRACTICE SOME ELEMENTARY MANEUVERS. AFTER LEXINGTON I DECIDED TO FLY OVER MY LIFELONG HOMETOWN, CUPERTINO. AT THIS POINT I WAS MAINTAINING PROPER ALT. THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FLT, MY FIRST SOLO FLT AWAY FROM THE ARPT, I WAS ATTEMPTING TO PAY UTMOST ATTN TO ALL DETAILS OF THE FLT. QUITE FRANKLY, I WAS VERY EXCITED TO BE FLYING AS PIC OF AN ACFT FOR THE FIRST TIME, ALONE. MY ATTN TO THE FLT AND ACFT WERE OCCUPYING MY ENTIRE THOUGHT PROCESS. WHILE FLYING OVER CUPERTINO, I NOTICED THE HOUSE OF A GOOD FRIEND. WHILE CIRCLING AND OBSERVING THIS HOUSE MY FRIEND AND HIS FATHER EXITED THE HOUSE AND BEGAN WAVING TO ME. I WAS VERY ENTHUSED AND PROUD TO BE NOTICED SO I CONTINUED TO CIRCLE FOR 2 MINS. AFTER THIS TIME, I DECIDED TO PROCEED BACK TO SJC TO LAND. WHEN I LOOKED AT MY INSTS TO ESTABLISH A CRUISE CLB, I NOTICED MY ALT. I HAD BEEN SLOWLY DSNDING WHILE CIRCLING WHICH I HAD NOT REALIZED. WHEN I NOTICED MY LOW ALT, MORE SPECIFICALLY 800 FT, I IMMEDIATELY ESTABLISHED A CLB TO REGAIN PROPER ALT AND RETURN TO THE ARPT. AT THE TIME I DISCOVERED MY LOW ALT, I WAS WORRIED ABOUT BEING TOO LOW, AND WAS HAPPY TO REGAIN PROPER ALT. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE I HAD GOTTEN FROM SPECTATORS ON THE GND UNTIL I LANDED. AFTER DISCOVERING THAT MANY PEOPLE HAD CALLED 911 AND COMPLAINED, I FELT ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE AND ASHAMED. I DID NOT INTEND TO DISTURB, HARASS, OR UPSET ANYONE AND I FEEL EXTREMELY EMBARRASSED, ASHAMED, AND WORRIED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. I SPOKE WITH AN FAA PRINCIPAL OPS INSPECTOR. AN ADDITION HE SUGGESTED MAKING IN MY STATEMENT WAS TO EXPLAIN THE EMPHASIS PUT ON MINIMUM ALTS IN MY PRIOR FLT INSTRUCTION. THE 1000 FT MINIMUM ALT OVER A POPULATED AREA RULE HAS APPEARED OCCASIONALLY IN MY INSTRUCTION BOTH VERBALLY AND IN MY TEXTBOOKS. I HAVE BEEN ASKED, ON QUIZZES, AND VERBALLY, IN THE PAST, WHAT THE MINIMUM ALT REQUIREMENT OVER A POPULATED AREA WAS, IN WHICH I ANSWERED CORRECTLY, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO ALL ASPECTS OF FLYING. I HAVE NOT BEEN INSTRUCTED IN THE PAST ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS OR WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE DONE IF AN FAR IS VIOLATED, NOR WAS ANY EXTRA EMPHASIS PUT ON THE MINIMUM ALT RULE. IN MY PRIOR INSTRUCTION, ALL FAR RELATED ISSUES WERE EMPHASIZED SIMILARLY. I HAVE OBTAINED A TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP OF THE PART OF CUPERTINO THAT I WAS FLYING OVER, TO ILLUSTRATE EXACTLY WHERE I WAS FLYING. AS NOTED ON THE MAP, THE GND ALT OF THE EXACT AREA I WAS CIRCLING RANGED FROM 360 FT TO 380 FT ABOVE SEA LEVEL. THE LOWEST READING THAT I OBSERVED ON MY ALTIMETER WAS 800 FT. AS NOTED, AT THAT POINT I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A CLB AND PROCEEDED BACK TO THE ARPT. AN ADDITIONAL FACT TO NOTE IS THAT MY ALTIMETER WAS SET TO THE CURRENT ATIS AT SJC WHEN I TOOK OFF. IN CONCLUSION, AFTER CALCULATING THESE FIGURES YOU CAN SEE THAT I WAS NO LESS THAN 420 FT AGL WHILE FLYING OVER CUPERTINO. ONCE AGAIN, I AM EXTENDING MY SINCEREST APOLOGY AND REGRET TO WHAT I HAVE DONE. I AM CLASSIFYING THIS INCIDENT AS POSSIBLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS LEARNED IN MY ENTIRE FLYING CAREER.

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.