Narrative:

On the morning of sep/xa/99, I left chino airport, ca, at approximately AB45 with my final destination being the page airport, az. I flew at 9500 ft until I was approximately 50 mi from page, az. I intended to make a low fly-by near the lone rock camping area which is approximately 10 mi from the page airport and located in the glen canyon recreation area. As I approached the lone rock camping area, I descended down to approximately 50-100 ft above the water and I made 4 low passes approximately 1000-1500 ft east of the campground. The first pass was in a northerly direction followed by a low pass in a southerly direction. Likewise, I returned again in a northerly direction and subsequently departed the lone rock camping area in an easterly direction. I continued to fly at approximately 100 ft above the water for approximately 3-4 mi. I was now approximately 7 mi from page airport and I climbed to pattern altitude for page, az, and announced my presence and intent to land. I subsequently landed on runway 33. During the entire above-mentioned flight, I was fully aware of far part 91.119 and at all times I maintained a minimum distance between my airplane and all people, boats, and/or vehicles of at least 1000 ft. In fact, my plane was at least 1500 ft east of the camping grounds on each of the above-mentioned low passes and I maneuvered around any jet skis and/or boats which were on the water to maintain a minimum of at least 1000 ft between my airplane and their vessel notwithstanding the fact that the far part 91.119 only requires 500 ft. Shortly after I landed at page airport, I was contacted by a glen canyon recreation area ranger. He advised me that he had received several reports about my airplane flying at low altitudes. He asked me if I was familiar with far part 91.119 and I advised in the affirmative. I assured him that my airplane was never any closer to people, boats, or vehicles than 1000 ft. He stated that he did not intend to cite me, however, had had to conduct an investigation and submit same to his superiors who could submit the matter to the FAA. I also advised him that I intended to take another flight the following day and I wanted to clarify the fact that I could fly as low as I wanted over lake powell water provided I maintained a minimum of 500 ft from any person, vessel, or property. He acknowledged it would be perfectly legal. Personally, I feel that I was flying safely and legally, however, the rangers who reported me probably were not aware that aircraft can fly as low as the pilot desires provided he maintains a minimum of 500 ft from people, vessels, or property. The only corrective action that I can think of would be educate the non flying rangers as to what is legal and not legal. Additionally, if the park does not want pilots to fly at 50-100 ft above the water, far part 91.119 should be changed accordingly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE35 PVT PLT BUZZES LAKE POWELL IN THE VICINITY OF LONE ROCK CAMPING AREA WHERE A RANGER TURNS HIM IN TO THE FAA FOR INVESTIGATION OF A POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF FAR PART 91 PT 119, 11 MI W OF PGA, AZ.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF SEP/XA/99, I LEFT CHINO ARPT, CA, AT APPROX AB45 WITH MY FINAL DEST BEING THE PAGE ARPT, AZ. I FLEW AT 9500 FT UNTIL I WAS APPROX 50 MI FROM PAGE, AZ. I INTENDED TO MAKE A LOW FLY-BY NEAR THE LONE ROCK CAMPING AREA WHICH IS APPROX 10 MI FROM THE PAGE ARPT AND LOCATED IN THE GLEN CANYON RECREATION AREA. AS I APCHED THE LONE ROCK CAMPING AREA, I DSNDED DOWN TO APPROX 50-100 FT ABOVE THE WATER AND I MADE 4 LOW PASSES APPROX 1000-1500 FT E OF THE CAMPGROUND. THE FIRST PASS WAS IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION FOLLOWED BY A LOW PASS IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION. LIKEWISE, I RETURNED AGAIN IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION AND SUBSEQUENTLY DEPARTED THE LONE ROCK CAMPING AREA IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION. I CONTINUED TO FLY AT APPROX 100 FT ABOVE THE WATER FOR APPROX 3-4 MI. I WAS NOW APPROX 7 MI FROM PAGE ARPT AND I CLBED TO PATTERN ALT FOR PAGE, AZ, AND ANNOUNCED MY PRESENCE AND INTENT TO LAND. I SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED ON RWY 33. DURING THE ENTIRE ABOVE-MENTIONED FLT, I WAS FULLY AWARE OF FAR PART 91.119 AND AT ALL TIMES I MAINTAINED A MINIMUM DISTANCE BTWN MY AIRPLANE AND ALL PEOPLE, BOATS, AND/OR VEHICLES OF AT LEAST 1000 FT. IN FACT, MY PLANE WAS AT LEAST 1500 FT E OF THE CAMPING GNDS ON EACH OF THE ABOVE-MENTIONED LOW PASSES AND I MANEUVERED AROUND ANY JET SKIS AND/OR BOATS WHICH WERE ON THE WATER TO MAINTAIN A MINIMUM OF AT LEAST 1000 FT BTWN MY AIRPLANE AND THEIR VESSEL NOTWITHSTANDING THE FACT THAT THE FAR PART 91.119 ONLY REQUIRES 500 FT. SHORTLY AFTER I LANDED AT PAGE ARPT, I WAS CONTACTED BY A GLEN CANYON RECREATION AREA RANGER. HE ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD RECEIVED SEVERAL RPTS ABOUT MY AIRPLANE FLYING AT LOW ALTS. HE ASKED ME IF I WAS FAMILIAR WITH FAR PART 91.119 AND I ADVISED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. I ASSURED HIM THAT MY AIRPLANE WAS NEVER ANY CLOSER TO PEOPLE, BOATS, OR VEHICLES THAN 1000 FT. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT INTEND TO CITE ME, HOWEVER, HAD HAD TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION AND SUBMIT SAME TO HIS SUPERIORS WHO COULD SUBMIT THE MATTER TO THE FAA. I ALSO ADVISED HIM THAT I INTENDED TO TAKE ANOTHER FLT THE FOLLOWING DAY AND I WANTED TO CLARIFY THE FACT THAT I COULD FLY AS LOW AS I WANTED OVER LAKE POWELL WATER PROVIDED I MAINTAINED A MINIMUM OF 500 FT FROM ANY PERSON, VESSEL, OR PROPERTY. HE ACKNOWLEDGED IT WOULD BE PERFECTLY LEGAL. PERSONALLY, I FEEL THAT I WAS FLYING SAFELY AND LEGALLY, HOWEVER, THE RANGERS WHO RPTED ME PROBABLY WERE NOT AWARE THAT ACFT CAN FLY AS LOW AS THE PLT DESIRES PROVIDED HE MAINTAINS A MINIMUM OF 500 FT FROM PEOPLE, VESSELS, OR PROPERTY. THE ONLY CORRECTIVE ACTION THAT I CAN THINK OF WOULD BE EDUCATE THE NON FLYING RANGERS AS TO WHAT IS LEGAL AND NOT LEGAL. ADDITIONALLY, IF THE PARK DOES NOT WANT PLTS TO FLY AT 50-100 FT ABOVE THE WATER, FAR PART 91.119 SHOULD BE CHANGED ACCORDINGLY.

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.