A private pilot, flying an AT6 along the coast of texas, descended to 500 ft AGL in order to avoid W...

Attributes
ACN	465721
Time
Date	200003
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Texan T6 Harvard
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 800 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	465721
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Returning from brownsville, en route to houston, I encountered a low cloud deck approximately at 1000 ft AGL. Below the cloud deck visibility was reduced due to haze and blowing dust. Visibility made it difficult to see other aircraft approaching from the opposite direction. A twin engine (baron) flew just off my left wing before I ever saw it. As a result, I descended to a lower altitude where the visibility was better. However, over water it was difficult to see the horizon due to haze. Therefore, I flew over the beach of south padre island with much better visibility. Thinking the beach was deserted, I flew very low over the beach after passing the populated area around corpus christi. Flying low over the beach, I realized there were some people and vehicles on the beach. My flight over the few people on the beach (for about 1 mi or so) may have frightened those on the ground. After realizing the beach was not deserted, I ascended to a higher altitude and flew directly back to houston at approximately 1000 ft AGL.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT PLT, FLYING AN AT6 ALONG THE COAST OF TEXAS, DSNDED TO 500 FT AGL IN ORDER TO AVOID WX. HE FLEW OVER SOUTH PADRE ISLAND WHERE PEOPLE WERE ASSEMBLED.

Narrative: RETURNING FROM BROWNSVILLE, ENRTE TO HOUSTON, I ENCOUNTERED A LOW CLOUD DECK APPROX AT 1000 FT AGL. BELOW THE CLOUD DECK VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED DUE TO HAZE AND BLOWING DUST. VISIBILITY MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE OTHER ACFT APCHING FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. A TWIN ENG (BARON) FLEW JUST OFF MY L WING BEFORE I EVER SAW IT. AS A RESULT, I DSNDED TO A LOWER ALT WHERE THE VISIBILITY WAS BETTER. HOWEVER, OVER WATER IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE THE HORIZON DUE TO HAZE. THEREFORE, I FLEW OVER THE BEACH OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND WITH MUCH BETTER VISIBILITY. THINKING THE BEACH WAS DESERTED, I FLEW VERY LOW OVER THE BEACH AFTER PASSING THE POPULATED AREA AROUND CORPUS CHRISTI. FLYING LOW OVER THE BEACH, I REALIZED THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE AND VEHICLES ON THE BEACH. MY FLT OVER THE FEW PEOPLE ON THE BEACH (FOR ABOUT 1 MI OR SO) MAY HAVE FRIGHTENED THOSE ON THE GND. AFTER REALIZING THE BEACH WAS NOT DESERTED, I ASCENDED TO A HIGHER ALT AND FLEW DIRECTLY BACK TO HOUSTON AT APPROX 1000 FT AGL.

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.

A private pilot, flying an AT6 along the coast of texas, descended to 500 ft AGL in order to avoid WX. He flew over south padre island where people were assembled.