Narrative:

Situation: returning on a deadhead flight from skagway to haines (10 min flight). The WX was deteriorating and the only way to cross the peninsula and get to the airport at or above 500 ft AGL was to cross just south of town. I crossed the shoreline at 1000 ft. The cloud deck forced me down to 500 ft for a brief time while crossing the land mass (approximately 1 - 1 1/2 mi) then I was able to climb back up to 1200 ft for the traffic pattern at haines. Not flying directly over any houses or town, I feel this was perfectly legal. However, this is not a normal altitude for our operation. I then received a call from an irate person, who said I flew right over his house and was illegal and he was turning me in. Knowing where his house is, I did not fly over it. I observed several other aircraft fly over the south end of town that afternoon, who appeared to be at 500 ft. As my aircraft is larger than any others around here, maybe it appeared to the person we were lower. I have talked to the local FSDO and am filing this just in case an actual complaint is filed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DHC6 ACFT ON VFR FLT PLAN DSNDED TO MAINTAIN CLR OF CLOUDS AND BRIEFLY CROSSED OVER A HOUSE AT 500 FT. THE IRATE HOMEOWNER CALLED THE RPTR AND THREATENED TO TURN HIM IN.

Narrative: SIT: RETURNING ON A DEADHEAD FLT FROM SKAGWAY TO HAINES (10 MIN FLT). THE WX WAS DETERIORATING AND THE ONLY WAY TO CROSS THE PENINSULA AND GET TO THE ARPT AT OR ABOVE 500 FT AGL WAS TO CROSS JUST S OF TOWN. I CROSSED THE SHORELINE AT 1000 FT. THE CLOUD DECK FORCED ME DOWN TO 500 FT FOR A BRIEF TIME WHILE XING THE LAND MASS (APPROX 1 - 1 1/2 MI) THEN I WAS ABLE TO CLB BACK UP TO 1200 FT FOR THE TFC PATTERN AT HAINES. NOT FLYING DIRECTLY OVER ANY HOUSES OR TOWN, I FEEL THIS WAS PERFECTLY LEGAL. HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT A NORMAL ALT FOR OUR OP. I THEN RECEIVED A CALL FROM AN IRATE PERSON, WHO SAID I FLEW RIGHT OVER HIS HOUSE AND WAS ILLEGAL AND HE WAS TURNING ME IN. KNOWING WHERE HIS HOUSE IS, I DID NOT FLY OVER IT. I OBSERVED SEVERAL OTHER ACFT FLY OVER THE S END OF TOWN THAT AFTERNOON, WHO APPEARED TO BE AT 500 FT. AS MY ACFT IS LARGER THAN ANY OTHERS AROUND HERE, MAYBE IT APPEARED TO THE PERSON WE WERE LOWER. I HAVE TALKED TO THE LCL FSDO AND AM FILING THIS JUST IN CASE AN ACTUAL COMPLAINT IS FILED.

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.