Narrative:

I was planning on landing to the south on a gravel bar referred to as 'two' by local pilots. I was being followed by another plane about 5 mins behind me. I flew down river (to the north) at approximately 500-600 ft AGL looking for fishermen/boats. On this pass, I did not see anyone in the approach/departure area, but I did see people about 3/4 - 1 mi down stream (north of the bar). I then flew back to south to the rock quarry, then entering the river heading north I came down to 25-50 ft and made a low upwind pass of the bar to look for any obstructions. I then climbed out before the camp and turned around and re-entered the river heading back south with the intent to land. I was slightly fast and unable to touch down at the desired point, so I initiated a go around and made a left turn over the grass fields to the east. I then proceeded back north and re-entered the river heading south for another approach. On this approach, I noticed an aluminum boat off near the left bank. It was probably 300 ft away. Already on short final, I continued with my landing/rollout. I turned off to the side giving another aircraft that was behind me room to land. I shut down the engine and began to work on a voltmeter I had attached to monitor voltage (we were monitoring a possible voltage problem). When I looked up, 2 state of oregon police officers were walking towards me. They had run their boat onto the bar right at the touchdown point. I turned on my master and called the other aircraft to warn them of the boat and they diverted to the ultimate destination of flying M ranch to wait for me and get breakfast. The officer that approached me was mr X of the fish and wildlife division of the oregon state police. He asked me for my driver's license, and asked some questions of was there a problem. Then what I was doing. I explained that I was brushing up for a trip to eastern oregon and idaho. He told me that it looked dangerous, flying that low to the water. We talked for about 5 mins. He said that I was not trespassing because we were below the high water mark making the bar public property. He said he didn't know much about aviation and would talk to one of their pilots. I then returned to the plane and they got back in their boat. I was planning on departing that end to head north down river, but they did not move and made repeated motions for me to depart. I then taxied to the north end for a south departure. They were at the end of the bar as where, if I was to turn to depart, I would blast them with my propeller wash. I waited for about 1 min and then they signaled me to go again. I departed and headed west towards flying M.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH FLT IN CLOSE PROX TO PERSON OR PERSONS WHEN AN M7 MAULE PVT PLT LANDS ON A SAND GRAVEL BAR ON THE RIVER NEAR MMV, OR.

Narrative: I WAS PLANNING ON LNDG TO THE S ON A GRAVEL BAR REFERRED TO AS 'TWO' BY LCL PLTS. I WAS BEING FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER PLANE ABOUT 5 MINS BEHIND ME. I FLEW DOWN RIVER (TO THE N) AT APPROX 500-600 FT AGL LOOKING FOR FISHERMEN/BOATS. ON THIS PASS, I DID NOT SEE ANYONE IN THE APCH/DEP AREA, BUT I DID SEE PEOPLE ABOUT 3/4 - 1 MI DOWN STREAM (N OF THE BAR). I THEN FLEW BACK TO S TO THE ROCK QUARRY, THEN ENTERING THE RIVER HDG N I CAME DOWN TO 25-50 FT AND MADE A LOW UPWIND PASS OF THE BAR TO LOOK FOR ANY OBSTRUCTIONS. I THEN CLBED OUT BEFORE THE CAMP AND TURNED AROUND AND RE-ENTERED THE RIVER HDG BACK S WITH THE INTENT TO LAND. I WAS SLIGHTLY FAST AND UNABLE TO TOUCH DOWN AT THE DESIRED POINT, SO I INITIATED A GAR AND MADE A L TURN OVER THE GRASS FIELDS TO THE E. I THEN PROCEEDED BACK N AND RE-ENTERED THE RIVER HDG S FOR ANOTHER APCH. ON THIS APCH, I NOTICED AN ALUMINUM BOAT OFF NEAR THE L BANK. IT WAS PROBABLY 300 FT AWAY. ALREADY ON SHORT FINAL, I CONTINUED WITH MY LNDG/ROLLOUT. I TURNED OFF TO THE SIDE GIVING ANOTHER ACFT THAT WAS BEHIND ME ROOM TO LAND. I SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND BEGAN TO WORK ON A VOLTMETER I HAD ATTACHED TO MONITOR VOLTAGE (WE WERE MONITORING A POSSIBLE VOLTAGE PROB). WHEN I LOOKED UP, 2 STATE OF OREGON POLICE OFFICERS WERE WALKING TOWARDS ME. THEY HAD RUN THEIR BOAT ONTO THE BAR RIGHT AT THE TOUCHDOWN POINT. I TURNED ON MY MASTER AND CALLED THE OTHER ACFT TO WARN THEM OF THE BOAT AND THEY DIVERTED TO THE ULTIMATE DEST OF FLYING M RANCH TO WAIT FOR ME AND GET BREAKFAST. THE OFFICER THAT APCHED ME WAS MR X OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE DIVISION OF THE OREGON STATE POLICE. HE ASKED ME FOR MY DRIVER'S LICENSE, AND ASKED SOME QUESTIONS OF WAS THERE A PROB. THEN WHAT I WAS DOING. I EXPLAINED THAT I WAS BRUSHING UP FOR A TRIP TO EASTERN OREGON AND IDAHO. HE TOLD ME THAT IT LOOKED DANGEROUS, FLYING THAT LOW TO THE WATER. WE TALKED FOR ABOUT 5 MINS. HE SAID THAT I WAS NOT TRESPASSING BECAUSE WE WERE BELOW THE HIGH WATER MARK MAKING THE BAR PUBLIC PROPERTY. HE SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT AVIATION AND WOULD TALK TO ONE OF THEIR PLTS. I THEN RETURNED TO THE PLANE AND THEY GOT BACK IN THEIR BOAT. I WAS PLANNING ON DEPARTING THAT END TO HEAD N DOWN RIVER, BUT THEY DID NOT MOVE AND MADE REPEATED MOTIONS FOR ME TO DEPART. I THEN TAXIED TO THE N END FOR A S DEP. THEY WERE AT THE END OF THE BAR AS WHERE, IF I WAS TO TURN TO DEPART, I WOULD BLAST THEM WITH MY PROP WASH. I WAITED FOR ABOUT 1 MIN AND THEN THEY SIGNALED ME TO GO AGAIN. I DEPARTED AND HEADED W TOWARDS FLYING M.

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.