A pilatus P3 pilot flies too low over the national parks area southeast of pye, ca.

Attributes
ACN	457860
Time
Date	199912
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 88 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 42
ASRS Report	457860
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Was flying the P3 on a partly cloudy, calm day. Under the clouds along the coast was some low fog -- tops from 1000-1500 ft or so. I was flying near mount tamalpais when I noticed the fog. I thought 'aha, fog with tops below the floor of class east airspace.' I love to fly just over the top of low fog. Usually do it over water. I became so excited I didn't think to take the chart out to see if I would be over park land. After a few mins of maneuvering over the top of the fog, I headed towards smith ranch airport to land. As I was crossing highway 1, the fog was about 1/2 mi behind me. At this point I saw how low over the hills to the west of highway 1 I had been. Then I thought of rangers for some reason, which led me to check the chart later, which led to this report. I had noticed through minimal breaks in the fog my ht above terrain was less than 1000 ft, but did not worry as I would clear any person, vehicle or structure by well over 500 ft and this was sparsely populated country. My excitement at finding 'legal' fog to fly over and the fact that point reyes and drakes bay were under fog led me to not realize I was over a national park. I'll be diligent about checking for parkland, etc, in the future.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PILATUS P3 PLT FLIES TOO LOW OVER THE NATIONAL PARKS AREA SE OF PYE, CA.

Narrative: WAS FLYING THE P3 ON A PARTLY CLOUDY, CALM DAY. UNDER THE CLOUDS ALONG THE COAST WAS SOME LOW FOG -- TOPS FROM 1000-1500 FT OR SO. I WAS FLYING NEAR MOUNT TAMALPAIS WHEN I NOTICED THE FOG. I THOUGHT 'AHA, FOG WITH TOPS BELOW THE FLOOR OF CLASS E AIRSPACE.' I LOVE TO FLY JUST OVER THE TOP OF LOW FOG. USUALLY DO IT OVER WATER. I BECAME SO EXCITED I DIDN'T THINK TO TAKE THE CHART OUT TO SEE IF I WOULD BE OVER PARK LAND. AFTER A FEW MINS OF MANEUVERING OVER THE TOP OF THE FOG, I HEADED TOWARDS SMITH RANCH ARPT TO LAND. AS I WAS XING HWY 1, THE FOG WAS ABOUT 1/2 MI BEHIND ME. AT THIS POINT I SAW HOW LOW OVER THE HILLS TO THE W OF HWY 1 I HAD BEEN. THEN I THOUGHT OF RANGERS FOR SOME REASON, WHICH LED ME TO CHK THE CHART LATER, WHICH LED TO THIS RPT. I HAD NOTICED THROUGH MINIMAL BREAKS IN THE FOG MY HT ABOVE TERRAIN WAS LESS THAN 1000 FT, BUT DID NOT WORRY AS I WOULD CLR ANY PERSON, VEHICLE OR STRUCTURE BY WELL OVER 500 FT AND THIS WAS SPARSELY POPULATED COUNTRY. MY EXCITEMENT AT FINDING 'LEGAL' FOG TO FLY OVER AND THE FACT THAT POINT REYES AND DRAKES BAY WERE UNDER FOG LED ME TO NOT REALIZE I WAS OVER A NATIONAL PARK. I'LL BE DILIGENT ABOUT CHKING FOR PARKLAND, ETC, IN THE FUTURE.

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.