Narrative:

The B717 is a new aircraft for our airline, and the marketing people wanted to get some new footage for commercials and other advertising. We were assigned to the photo flight. This was the first kind of flight like this for me. Looking back on it, if I had to do it again, I would do some things differently. The company that did the shoot is very well known and respected for this kind of work. I guess I figured that they would be more on top of the overall aspects of the flight -- in terms of keeping us legal and safe relative to terrain, airspace and cloud clearance. In the end, I think that their focus is to get the shots. We briefed the day before and I got the impression that they were going to take care of things, but when we got airborne, it slowly became clear that they were focusing almost entirely on the shoot. We got clearance for the warning and restr areas, kept up with ATC regarding the ADIZ, etc. They (the photo aircraft) were giving us headings and altitudes to fly relative to the light and the clouds. At one point we were heading toward terrain, and when I told them that we were going straight toward a mountain (covered by clouds) that was 10 mi ahead and 500 ft below us, they just 'rogered.' so I told them we had to turn away from it. They didn't have any problem with that, but I realized then that I was going to have to be more proactive to keep us out of trouble. In the process of this flight, I think that we may have been too close to the clouds for the class of airspace that we were in. In the end, I think that this is a new type of CRM problem for me: being PIC yet being 'controled' by the other aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B717 FLC BECAME TOO CLOSE TO A MOUNTAIN TOP AND CLOUDS WHEN FLYING FOR A PHOTOGRAPHIC TEAM TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF THEIR ACFT NEW TO THE COMPANY FLEET.

Narrative: THE B717 IS A NEW ACFT FOR OUR AIRLINE, AND THE MARKETING PEOPLE WANTED TO GET SOME NEW FOOTAGE FOR COMMERCIALS AND OTHER ADVERTISING. WE WERE ASSIGNED TO THE PHOTO FLT. THIS WAS THE FIRST KIND OF FLT LIKE THIS FOR ME. LOOKING BACK ON IT, IF I HAD TO DO IT AGAIN, I WOULD DO SOME THINGS DIFFERENTLY. THE COMPANY THAT DID THE SHOOT IS VERY WELL KNOWN AND RESPECTED FOR THIS KIND OF WORK. I GUESS I FIGURED THAT THEY WOULD BE MORE ON TOP OF THE OVERALL ASPECTS OF THE FLT -- IN TERMS OF KEEPING US LEGAL AND SAFE RELATIVE TO TERRAIN, AIRSPACE AND CLOUD CLRNC. IN THE END, I THINK THAT THEIR FOCUS IS TO GET THE SHOTS. WE BRIEFED THE DAY BEFORE AND I GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THINGS, BUT WHEN WE GOT AIRBORNE, IT SLOWLY BECAME CLR THAT THEY WERE FOCUSING ALMOST ENTIRELY ON THE SHOOT. WE GOT CLRNC FOR THE WARNING AND RESTR AREAS, KEPT UP WITH ATC REGARDING THE ADIZ, ETC. THEY (THE PHOTO ACFT) WERE GIVING US HDGS AND ALTS TO FLY RELATIVE TO THE LIGHT AND THE CLOUDS. AT ONE POINT WE WERE HDG TOWARD TERRAIN, AND WHEN I TOLD THEM THAT WE WERE GOING STRAIGHT TOWARD A MOUNTAIN (COVERED BY CLOUDS) THAT WAS 10 MI AHEAD AND 500 FT BELOW US, THEY JUST 'ROGERED.' SO I TOLD THEM WE HAD TO TURN AWAY FROM IT. THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROB WITH THAT, BUT I REALIZED THEN THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO BE MORE PROACTIVE TO KEEP US OUT OF TROUBLE. IN THE PROCESS OF THIS FLT, I THINK THAT WE MAY HAVE BEEN TOO CLOSE TO THE CLOUDS FOR THE CLASS OF AIRSPACE THAT WE WERE IN. IN THE END, I THINK THAT THIS IS A NEW TYPE OF CRM PROB FOR ME: BEING PIC YET BEING 'CTLED' BY THE OTHER ACFT.

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.