Low altitude mountain photo shoot results in encounter with wind conditions that made it impossible ...

Attributes
ACN	463300
Time
Date	200002
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lkpr.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : mdsd.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	463300
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : observer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other non adherence : far other anomaly other anomaly other other spatial deviation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

While flying a photo flight, the following situation occurred: the target was a venue part way up a mountain side below a ridge. As surface winds were light and I hadn't encountered any turbulence thus far, I planned to approach head-on from the lee side of the ridge at a constant altitude that would provide minimum allowable altitude upon crossing the ridge. To keep the speed slow enough for the job, the aircraft was put in a high drag/power confign. When nearing the ridge, I encountered sinking air. By reconfiguring the aircraft to reduce drag, I thought I would be able to maintain altitude and continued. However, as it turned out, this was not enough to maintain the separation level we desired from the ridge top and put us in uncomfortable proximity to structures and persons nearby. Several errors were made: 1) I was lulled into complacency by conditions away from the mountain (conditions in the mountainous areas are predictably unpredictable). 2) stayed with the approach too long (wait and see if it gets better) instead of aborting the approach at first hint of downdraft. 3) should not have agreed to focus on minimum allowable altitudes (doesn't allow for any margin of error or unforeseen circumstances) instead of higher levels that would provide a more generous margin. 4) I should not have approached from the lee side of the mountain (figuring the aircraft would outperform any downdrafts) -- especially in a high drag confign.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW ALT MOUNTAIN PHOTO SHOOT RESULTS IN ENCOUNTER WITH WIND CONDITIONS THAT MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN ALT NEAR RIDGE LINE AND MINIMUM SEPARATION FROM PERSONS ON THE GND WAS NOT KEPT.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING A PHOTO FLT, THE FOLLOWING SIT OCCURRED: THE TARGET WAS A VENUE PART WAY UP A MOUNTAIN SIDE BELOW A RIDGE. AS SURFACE WINDS WERE LIGHT AND I HADN'T ENCOUNTERED ANY TURB THUS FAR, I PLANNED TO APCH HEAD-ON FROM THE LEE SIDE OF THE RIDGE AT A CONSTANT ALT THAT WOULD PROVIDE MINIMUM ALLOWABLE ALT UPON XING THE RIDGE. TO KEEP THE SPD SLOW ENOUGH FOR THE JOB, THE ACFT WAS PUT IN A HIGH DRAG/PWR CONFIGN. WHEN NEARING THE RIDGE, I ENCOUNTERED SINKING AIR. BY RECONFIGURING THE ACFT TO REDUCE DRAG, I THOUGHT I WOULD BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT AND CONTINUED. HOWEVER, AS IT TURNED OUT, THIS WAS NOT ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN THE SEPARATION LEVEL WE DESIRED FROM THE RIDGE TOP AND PUT US IN UNCOMFORTABLE PROX TO STRUCTURES AND PERSONS NEARBY. SEVERAL ERRORS WERE MADE: 1) I WAS LULLED INTO COMPLACENCY BY CONDITIONS AWAY FROM THE MOUNTAIN (CONDITIONS IN THE MOUNTAINOUS AREAS ARE PREDICTABLY UNPREDICTABLE). 2) STAYED WITH THE APCH TOO LONG (WAIT AND SEE IF IT GETS BETTER) INSTEAD OF ABORTING THE APCH AT FIRST HINT OF DOWNDRAFT. 3) SHOULD NOT HAVE AGREED TO FOCUS ON MINIMUM ALLOWABLE ALTS (DOESN'T ALLOW FOR ANY MARGIN OF ERROR OR UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES) INSTEAD OF HIGHER LEVELS THAT WOULD PROVIDE A MORE GENEROUS MARGIN. 4) I SHOULD NOT HAVE APCHED FROM THE LEE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN (FIGURING THE ACFT WOULD OUTPERFORM ANY DOWNDRAFTS) -- ESPECIALLY IN A HIGH DRAG CONFIGN.

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.

Low altitude mountain photo shoot results in encounter with wind conditions that made it impossible to maintain altitude near ridge line and minimum separation from persons on the ground was not kept.