Nearby resident living under the normal uncontrolled airport traffic pattern on a hill, complained t...

Attributes
ACN	458708
Time
Date	199912
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-18/19 Super Cub
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 500 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	458708
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : observer other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 2
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Environmental Factor

Narrative:

After purchasing a super cub, I have made many low altitude cross country trips in the central texas area. It has been some time since I have reviewed the FARS for minimum altitudes. During these flts I have flown below 500 ft over mostly unpopulated areas. All flts over towns or cities have been above 1000 ft. My main concern is that I have flown over ranch house and deer hunters/vehicles at less than 500 ft. On dec/fri/99, after returning to my base airport (88R\right), I was approached by a man who said I had flown too low over his house. I agree that I flew low over his house, but it was during transition from downwind leg to base leg for landing. His house sits on the side of a hill and it's at a higher elevation than the airport. It is directly under the standard l-hand pattern for runway 35. The man insisted that I was in violation and he would turn me in to the FAA. After reviewing the far, I understand that the altitude restrs are in effect except for lndgs and takeoffs. Please call or mail information on these types of sits. I apologized to the man and told him I would try to avoid his home, but he would not accept my apology. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the complainant threatened to turn him in to the FAA for enforcement action as he said that he had done before to other aircraft flying close to his house. The complainant further said that he was tired of the aircraft flying over his houses and was trying to have the airport closed. Reporter stated that he will stay as far away from that house as possible in the future.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NEARBY RESIDENT LIVING UNDER THE NORMAL UNCTLED ARPT TFC PATTERN ON A HILL, COMPLAINED TO THE PLT OF A PIPER SUPER CUB OF LOW FLT OVER HIS RESIDENCE. THE RPTING PLT READILY ADMITTED THAT HE HAD FLOWN OVER THE COMPLAINANT'S RESIDENCE WHILE TURNING FROM DOWNWIND TO BASE LEG.

Narrative: AFTER PURCHASING A SUPER CUB, I HAVE MADE MANY LOW ALT XCOUNTRY TRIPS IN THE CENTRAL TEXAS AREA. IT HAS BEEN SOME TIME SINCE I HAVE REVIEWED THE FARS FOR MINIMUM ALTS. DURING THESE FLTS I HAVE FLOWN BELOW 500 FT OVER MOSTLY UNPOPULATED AREAS. ALL FLTS OVER TOWNS OR CITIES HAVE BEEN ABOVE 1000 FT. MY MAIN CONCERN IS THAT I HAVE FLOWN OVER RANCH HOUSE AND DEER HUNTERS/VEHICLES AT LESS THAN 500 FT. ON DEC/FRI/99, AFTER RETURNING TO MY BASE ARPT (88R\R), I WAS APCHED BY A MAN WHO SAID I HAD FLOWN TOO LOW OVER HIS HOUSE. I AGREE THAT I FLEW LOW OVER HIS HOUSE, BUT IT WAS DURING TRANSITION FROM DOWNWIND LEG TO BASE LEG FOR LNDG. HIS HOUSE SITS ON THE SIDE OF A HILL AND IT'S AT A HIGHER ELEVATION THAN THE ARPT. IT IS DIRECTLY UNDER THE STANDARD L-HAND PATTERN FOR RWY 35. THE MAN INSISTED THAT I WAS IN VIOLATION AND HE WOULD TURN ME IN TO THE FAA. AFTER REVIEWING THE FAR, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE ALT RESTRS ARE IN EFFECT EXCEPT FOR LNDGS AND TKOFS. PLEASE CALL OR MAIL INFO ON THESE TYPES OF SITS. I APOLOGIZED TO THE MAN AND TOLD HIM I WOULD TRY TO AVOID HIS HOME, BUT HE WOULD NOT ACCEPT MY APOLOGY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE COMPLAINANT THREATENED TO TURN HIM IN TO THE FAA FOR ENFORCEMENT ACTION AS HE SAID THAT HE HAD DONE BEFORE TO OTHER ACFT FLYING CLOSE TO HIS HOUSE. THE COMPLAINANT FURTHER SAID THAT HE WAS TIRED OF THE ACFT FLYING OVER HIS HOUSES AND WAS TRYING TO HAVE THE ARPT CLOSED. RPTR STATED THAT HE WILL STAY AS FAR AWAY FROM THAT HOUSE AS POSSIBLE 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.

Nearby resident living under the normal uncontrolled airport traffic pattern on a hill, complained to the pilot of a piper super cub of low flight over his residence. The reporting pilot readily admitted that he had flown over the complainant's residence while turning from downwind to base leg.