Reporter flight crew flew too low over national monument.

Attributes
ACN	343112
Time
Date	199607
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rap
State Reference	ND
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6500 msl bound upper : 6500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Grumman American Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	343112
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : assigned or threatened penalties faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Using WAC chart CF17, 25 edition, aug/xx/95, was told by local pilots to use rapid city VOR, track out on 240 degree radial, maintain 6500 ft over parking lot of visitor center. Rapid city elevation is 3202 ft. Departed runway 32, executed left turn and intercepted 240 degree radial at cruise climb. WX was still very blustery and remaining cloud from night before prevented a straight run parallel to mountain, but a left turn eastbound and descending was necessary. This is one of the loudest piston pwred aircraft the united states military has ever operated. The parking lot was passed over at 6500 ft as instructed by local pilots. Due to its size (32000 pounds and 80 ft wingspan) the aircraft appears closer. I believe the noise was amplified by the rock face of the cliff and cruise/climb power (36 inches manifold pressure/2300 RPM) was maintained for safety due to the blustery conditions. The aircraft was in a l-hand turn (it takes 3 mi to turn around at this rate) and the bank added to the noise being reflected off of the cliff face, 2000 ft away. Solutions: better marking on WAC chart if this is a noise sensitive area with minimum altitudes/distances for different classes of aircraft. At the time we met all the known criteria. Nothing on WAC notes under special-use airspace references this location! However, cheyenne sectional has a section 'regulations regarding flts over charted national park scenic area, nothing noted or charted on WAC charts.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR FLC FLEW TOO LOW OVER NATIONAL MONUMENT.

Narrative: USING WAC CHART CF17, 25 EDITION, AUG/XX/95, WAS TOLD BY LCL PLTS TO USE RAPID CITY VOR, TRACK OUT ON 240 DEG RADIAL, MAINTAIN 6500 FT OVER PARKING LOT OF VISITOR CTR. RAPID CITY ELEVATION IS 3202 FT. DEPARTED RWY 32, EXECUTED L TURN AND INTERCEPTED 240 DEG RADIAL AT CRUISE CLB. WX WAS STILL VERY BLUSTERY AND REMAINING CLOUD FROM NIGHT BEFORE PREVENTED A STRAIGHT RUN PARALLEL TO MOUNTAIN, BUT A L TURN EBOUND AND DSNDING WAS NECESSARY. THIS IS ONE OF THE LOUDEST PISTON PWRED ACFT THE UNITED STATES MIL HAS EVER OPERATED. THE PARKING LOT WAS PASSED OVER AT 6500 FT AS INSTRUCTED BY LCL PLTS. DUE TO ITS SIZE (32000 LBS AND 80 FT WINGSPAN) THE ACFT APPEARS CLOSER. I BELIEVE THE NOISE WAS AMPLIFIED BY THE ROCK FACE OF THE CLIFF AND CRUISE/CLB PWR (36 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE/2300 RPM) WAS MAINTAINED FOR SAFETY DUE TO THE BLUSTERY CONDITIONS. THE ACFT WAS IN A L-HAND TURN (IT TAKES 3 MI TO TURN AROUND AT THIS RATE) AND THE BANK ADDED TO THE NOISE BEING REFLECTED OFF OF THE CLIFF FACE, 2000 FT AWAY. SOLUTIONS: BETTER MARKING ON WAC CHART IF THIS IS A NOISE SENSITIVE AREA WITH MINIMUM ALTS/DISTANCES FOR DIFFERENT CLASSES OF ACFT. AT THE TIME WE MET ALL THE KNOWN CRITERIA. NOTHING ON WAC NOTES UNDER SPECIAL-USE AIRSPACE REFS THIS LOCATION! HOWEVER, CHEYENNE SECTIONAL HAS A SECTION 'REGS REGARDING FLTS OVER CHARTED NATIONAL PARK SCENIC AREA, NOTHING NOTED OR CHARTED ON WAC CHARTS.'

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.