Narrative:

On jun/xa/00, I arrived at operations for a scheduled flight to kingston, jamaica, via montego bay. Departure time was scheduled for XA30Z. Upon arrival at XA30Z, the flight coordinator at flight operations informed the crew that we were participating in a special event fly-by scheduled for XB00Z. The captain contacted a special event representative, to find out what altitude the fly-by would be conducted at and his reply was 1000 ft. When we arrived at the aircraft, the captain contacted clearance delivery to inform them we were participating in a special event fly-by, we then received a clearance to mbj and was told to contact ground control. Once on tower frequency we were cleared to climb to 1000 ft runway heading, then departure control cleared us direct to the causeway for the fly-by. Prior to arrival at the channel, the captain asked the first officer to request 800 ft which he requested and received. Flaps were set at 15 degrees and as the captain was flying he told the first officer and myself to maintain visual separation at all times. ATC then cleared us for the maneuvers at approximately AB50Z. About halfway through the channel the first officer reported to the captain that we were below our assigned altitude. Captain replied we are legal. I visually checked the altimeter which indicated that we were at 600 ft. The captain turned north approximately 1 mi offshore and called for flaps 25 degrees and continued to descend to 200 ft. The first officer, again, verbally informed the captain that we were at 200 ft and the captain replied, 'we are legal and I take full responsibility.' at that time ATC reported that we were no longer on radar and instructed us to report when ready for clearance to climb out. Clearance was requested and received to climb to 2000 ft which we did while proceeding on course to our destination, montego bay, jamaica. During the low altitude fly-by at 800 ft and below, I believe the first officer was properly keeping the captain informed with his cautionary remarks. Supplemental information from acn 475710: I saw that the captain descent to 500 ft so I called for altitude without correcting altitude. He responds we are legal within our right. The captain was turning to north according to the information provided. During the turn he climbed to 700 ft to establish with north heading and started descending again 1 mi out of shoreline he calls flaps 25 degrees. I made my second callout about altitude while ATC was advising us of traffic in the area. Then the captain descended to 200 ft. I, one more time, replied altitude and ATC were telling us that they did not have us on the scope. Captain responded: we are legal to do this and I take full responsibility.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A CARGO DC8 FLEW BELOW THE LEGAL MINIMUM ALT DURING SPECIAL AVIATION FLY-BY.

Narrative: ON JUN/XA/00, I ARRIVED AT OPS FOR A SCHEDULED FLT TO KINGSTON, JAMAICA, VIA MONTEGO BAY. DEP TIME WAS SCHEDULED FOR XA30Z. UPON ARR AT XA30Z, THE FLT COORDINATOR AT FLT OPS INFORMED THE CREW THAT WE WERE PARTICIPATING IN A SPECIAL EVENT FLY-BY SCHEDULED FOR XB00Z. THE CAPT CONTACTED A SPECIAL EVENT REPRESENTATIVE, TO FIND OUT WHAT ALT THE FLY-BY WOULD BE CONDUCTED AT AND HIS REPLY WAS 1000 FT. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE ACFT, THE CAPT CONTACTED CLRNC DELIVERY TO INFORM THEM WE WERE PARTICIPATING IN A SPECIAL EVENT FLY-BY, WE THEN RECEIVED A CLRNC TO MBJ AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT GND CTL. ONCE ON TWR FREQ WE WERE CLRED TO CLB TO 1000 FT RWY HEADING, THEN DEP CTL CLRED US DIRECT TO THE CAUSEWAY FOR THE FLY-BY. PRIOR TO ARR AT THE CHANNEL, THE CAPT ASKED THE FO TO REQUEST 800 FT WHICH HE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED. FLAPS WERE SET AT 15 DEGS AND AS THE CAPT WAS FLYING HE TOLD THE FO AND MYSELF TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION AT ALL TIMES. ATC THEN CLRED US FOR THE MANEUVERS AT APPROX AB50Z. ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE CHANNEL THE FO RPTED TO THE CAPT THAT WE WERE BELOW OUR ASSIGNED ALT. CAPT REPLIED WE ARE LEGAL. I VISUALLY CHKED THE ALTIMETER WHICH INDICATED THAT WE WERE AT 600 FT. THE CAPT TURNED N APPROX 1 MI OFFSHORE AND CALLED FOR FLAPS 25 DEGS AND CONTINUED TO DSND TO 200 FT. THE FO, AGAIN, VERBALLY INFORMED THE CAPT THAT WE WERE AT 200 FT AND THE CAPT REPLIED, 'WE ARE LEGAL AND I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY.' AT THAT TIME ATC RPTED THAT WE WERE NO LONGER ON RADAR AND INSTRUCTED US TO RPT WHEN READY FOR CLRNC TO CLB OUT. CLRNC WAS REQUESTED AND RECEIVED TO CLB TO 2000 FT WHICH WE DID WHILE PROCEEDING ON COURSE TO OUR DEST, MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA. DURING THE LOW ALT FLY-BY AT 800 FT AND BELOW, I BELIEVE THE FO WAS PROPERLY KEEPING THE CAPT INFORMED WITH HIS CAUTIONARY REMARKS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 475710: I SAW THAT THE CAPT DSCNT TO 500 FT SO I CALLED FOR ALT WITHOUT CORRECTING ALT. HE RESPONDS WE ARE LEGAL WITHIN OUR RIGHT. THE CAPT WAS TURNING TO N ACCORDING TO THE INFO PROVIDED. DURING THE TURN HE CLBED TO 700 FT TO ESTABLISH WITH N HEADING AND STARTED DSNDING AGAIN 1 MI OUT OF SHORELINE HE CALLS FLAPS 25 DEGS. I MADE MY SECOND CALLOUT ABOUT ALT WHILE ATC WAS ADVISING US OF TFC IN THE AREA. THEN THE CAPT DSNDED TO 200 FT. I, ONE MORE TIME, REPLIED ALT AND ATC WERE TELLING US THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE US ON THE SCOPE. CAPT RESPONDED: WE ARE LEGAL TO DO THIS AND I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY.

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.