Narrative:

I was asked to do a 'fly-by' at the graveside ceremony of a fallen friend. The cemetery was less than 2 mi north of the airport, so I climbed to pattern altitude (800 ft AGL) and did the fly-by on a wide upwind leg. Later that day, a relative of the deceased thanked me for my gesture and in passing conversation asked me 'how low pilots are allowed to fly' to which the flight instructor in me quoted the parameters of far 91.119. As I thought about it later, I realized that the ceremony could have been thought of as an 'open air assembly of persons,' and that I should have been at 1000 ft AGL. I think the emotional aspects of bidding farewell to my friend by air led to my misjudgement in this matter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C310 PLT FLEW LOWER THAN THE MINIMUM ALT OVER A GRAVE SITE CEREMONY DUE TO THE OPEN AIR ASSEMBLY OF PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE.

Narrative: I WAS ASKED TO DO A 'FLY-BY' AT THE GRAVESIDE CEREMONY OF A FALLEN FRIEND. THE CEMETERY WAS LESS THAN 2 MI N OF THE ARPT, SO I CLBED TO PATTERN ALT (800 FT AGL) AND DID THE FLY-BY ON A WIDE UPWIND LEG. LATER THAT DAY, A RELATIVE OF THE DECEASED THANKED ME FOR MY GESTURE AND IN PASSING CONVERSATION ASKED ME 'HOW LOW PLTS ARE ALLOWED TO FLY' TO WHICH THE FLT INSTRUCTOR IN ME QUOTED THE PARAMETERS OF FAR 91.119. AS I THOUGHT ABOUT IT LATER, I REALIZED THAT THE CEREMONY COULD HAVE BEEN THOUGHT OF AS AN 'OPEN AIR ASSEMBLY OF PERSONS,' AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT 1000 FT AGL. I THINK THE EMOTIONAL ASPECTS OF BIDDING FAREWELL TO MY FRIEND BY AIR LED TO MY MISJUDGEMENT IN THIS MATTER.

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.