Narrative:

On may/xa/98 I was a passenger in the right front seat on a flight from fort lauderdale executive to vero beach in florida. The flight departed at XA00 local time and proceeded over the ocean shoreline to a point located about 3/4 of a mile off shore, where an air show took place until an hour before. The PIC who owns a private pilot certificate then decided to take a look at freighters anchoring at this point and to fly along buoys marking the air show course. For this purpose he descended to a lower altitude which appeared to be about 200 ft MSL. He then started his circling maneuver around those freighters maintaining a distance of at least 500 ft and followed the air show course. However, since there were smaller boats in the area at this time, the PIC may have violated the minimum safe altitudes with regard to those boats. The PIC and I were not aware of a violation at this time and the airplane departed the area about 10 minutes later. The PIC has been contacted, 4 days later, about a possible violation by unofficial sources. Even though I told the PIC several times that he should not descend to such a low altitude over the ocean, I did not take any further action to prevent him from doing so. Stronger interference on my part could have avoided the situation and a possible violation. However, I was unaware of any violation at this time. Since the PIC, I, as well as another passenger on board, enjoyed the day at the air show his judgement may have been impaired by those actions from the airplanes flying at the air show. Supplemental information from acn 401528: to the best of my knowledge, I never descended to lower than 200-250 ft MSL, and at no time whatsoever did I fly closer than 500 ft from any persons or vessels. As far as steep turns, I do not believe that any turn was excessive nor do I believe I endangered my two passenger at any time. Looking back at my sectional chart, I may have strayed just inside the fll class C, but only for a few seconds. I could maybe have called fll departure, but at the time it seemed I didn't need to do so. A combination of anxiety from the air show, and the freedom of just recently acquiring my private license, has made a possible problem in my flying future at school. No FARS were broken, but poor decision making has been recognized, and I will certainly have learned from this situation.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PLT IN A PA28 WITH TWO PAX DEPARTED AFTER AN AIR SHOW AND THEN FLEW LOW OVER THE SHOW AREA AND OVER PEOPLE IN THEIR BOATS. ONE OF THE PAX, WHO WAS ALSO AN INSTRUCTOR PLT, STATES THAT HE OBJECTED TO THIS ACTIVITY.

Narrative: ON MAY/XA/98 I WAS A PAX IN THE R FRONT SEAT ON A FLT FROM FORT LAUDERDALE EXECUTIVE TO VERO BEACH IN FLORIDA. THE FLT DEPARTED AT XA00 LCL TIME AND PROCEEDED OVER THE OCEAN SHORELINE TO A POINT LOCATED ABOUT 3/4 OF A MILE OFF SHORE, WHERE AN AIR SHOW TOOK PLACE UNTIL AN HOUR BEFORE. THE PIC WHO OWNS A PRIVATE PLT CERTIFICATE THEN DECIDED TO TAKE A LOOK AT FREIGHTERS ANCHORING AT THIS POINT AND TO FLY ALONG BUOYS MARKING THE AIR SHOW COURSE. FOR THIS PURPOSE HE DSNDED TO A LOWER ALT WHICH APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 200 FT MSL. HE THEN STARTED HIS CIRCLING MANEUVER AROUND THOSE FREIGHTERS MAINTAINING A DISTANCE OF AT LEAST 500 FT AND FOLLOWED THE AIR SHOW COURSE. HOWEVER, SINCE THERE WERE SMALLER BOATS IN THE AREA AT THIS TIME, THE PIC MAY HAVE VIOLATED THE MINIMUM SAFE ALTS WITH REGARD TO THOSE BOATS. THE PIC AND I WERE NOT AWARE OF A VIOLATION AT THIS TIME AND THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE AREA ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER. THE PIC HAS BEEN CONTACTED, 4 DAYS LATER, ABOUT A POSSIBLE VIOLATION BY UNOFFICIAL SOURCES. EVEN THOUGH I TOLD THE PIC SEVERAL TIMES THAT HE SHOULD NOT DSND TO SUCH A LOW ALT OVER THE OCEAN, I DID NOT TAKE ANY FURTHER ACTION TO PREVENT HIM FROM DOING SO. STRONGER INTERFERENCE ON MY PART COULD HAVE AVOIDED THE SIT AND A POSSIBLE VIOLATION. HOWEVER, I WAS UNAWARE OF ANY VIOLATION AT THIS TIME. SINCE THE PIC, I, AS WELL AS ANOTHER PAX ON BOARD, ENJOYED THE DAY AT THE AIR SHOW HIS JUDGEMENT MAY HAVE BEEN IMPAIRED BY THOSE ACTIONS FROM THE AIRPLANES FLYING AT THE AIR SHOW. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 401528: TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, I NEVER DSNDED TO LOWER THAN 200-250 FT MSL, AND AT NO TIME WHATSOEVER DID I FLY CLOSER THAN 500 FT FROM ANY PERSONS OR VESSELS. AS FAR AS STEEP TURNS, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY TURN WAS EXCESSIVE NOR DO I BELIEVE I ENDANGERED MY TWO PAX AT ANY TIME. LOOKING BACK AT MY SECTIONAL CHART, I MAY HAVE STRAYED JUST INSIDE THE FLL CLASS C, BUT ONLY FOR A FEW SECONDS. I COULD MAYBE HAVE CALLED FLL DEP, BUT AT THE TIME IT SEEMED I DIDN'T NEED TO DO SO. A COMBINATION OF ANXIETY FROM THE AIR SHOW, AND THE FREEDOM OF JUST RECENTLY ACQUIRING MY PRIVATE LICENSE, HAS MADE A POSSIBLE PROBLEM IN MY FLYING FUTURE AT SCHOOL. NO FARS WERE BROKEN, BUT POOR DECISION MAKING HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED, AND I WILL CERTAINLY HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS SIT.

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.