Narrative:

While flying in the lone mountain area I also took the opportunity to orbit the area over my house, which is also within the lone mountain area. I flew several erratic circular patterns, reversing direction of my pattern at times over the area of my house, observing my residence as well as the overview of my neighborhood in general. Previously measured elevation at my house was estimated by GPS at about 2000 ft MSL, while circling the area my altitude did vary as previously stated, but at no time did I feel that my altitude was unsafe. After sightseeing in the area for about 10 mins, I then obtained the vgt AWOS information and reported my intention to land with the vgt tower. I was already at the traffic pattern altitude of about 3000 ft MSL. I believe I was instructed to continue inbound on an extended right base for runway 12R at vgt. I then continued inbound and landed without incident. After receiving a letter from the FAA on sep/mon/03, it was brought to my attention that a person complained of my aircraft conducting repeated low altitude passes with abrupt maneuvering over the playground of a local elementary school. I am not sure that the aircraft they reported was indeed my aircraft. However, I have no way of knowing what altitude I was reported to be flying at, only described as 'low passes.' I also can't explain the claim of abrupt maneuvering, as I have never operated this or any other aircraft in any manner of aerobatic flight. The elementary school in question is about 1 city block from my house, but I was not orbiting the area of the school. The entire time I was orbiting the area of lone mountain and my house I was at a safe and lawful altitude. At no time did I endanger myself or any person or property. The area due north of my house and the area surrounding lone mountain is an unincorporated area of clark county and is sparsely populated by multiple acre ranch-style home sites, but mostly unoccupied land. I fully understand the minimum altitude requirements provided by the far's and do not believe that I violated such altitudes during the flight in question. In light of the fact that the date of the flight was near the second anniversary of the 9/11/01 tragedy involving aircraft, it has occurred to me that the person filing the complaint with the FAA may have been over zealous or uneasy about the presence of an aircraft in the area on such a tense and tragic anniversary date. While I can empathize with such thoughts, I do not believe that any violation occurred during the flight in question.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C150 PLT HAD A NEIGHBOR COMPLAIN ABOUT FLT OVER A POPULATED AREA. THE PLT PREVIOUSLY DETERMINED HIS HOUSE WAS AT 2000 FT MSL. THE PLT FLEW AT 3000 FT.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING IN THE LONE MOUNTAIN AREA I ALSO TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO ORBIT THE AREA OVER MY HOUSE, WHICH IS ALSO WITHIN THE LONE MOUNTAIN AREA. I FLEW SEVERAL ERRATIC CIRCULAR PATTERNS, REVERSING DIRECTION OF MY PATTERN AT TIMES OVER THE AREA OF MY HOUSE, OBSERVING MY RESIDENCE AS WELL AS THE OVERVIEW OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD IN GENERAL. PREVIOUSLY MEASURED ELEVATION AT MY HOUSE WAS ESTIMATED BY GPS AT ABOUT 2000 FT MSL, WHILE CIRCLING THE AREA MY ALT DID VARY AS PREVIOUSLY STATED, BUT AT NO TIME DID I FEEL THAT MY ALT WAS UNSAFE. AFTER SIGHTSEEING IN THE AREA FOR ABOUT 10 MINS, I THEN OBTAINED THE VGT AWOS INFO AND RPTED MY INTENTION TO LAND WITH THE VGT TWR. I WAS ALREADY AT THE TFC PATTERN ALT OF ABOUT 3000 FT MSL. I BELIEVE I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTINUE INBOUND ON AN EXTENDED R BASE FOR RWY 12R AT VGT. I THEN CONTINUED INBOUND AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER RECEIVING A LETTER FROM THE FAA ON SEP/MON/03, IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN THAT A PERSON COMPLAINED OF MY ACFT CONDUCTING REPEATED LOW ALT PASSES WITH ABRUPT MANEUVERING OVER THE PLAYGROUND OF A LCL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I AM NOT SURE THAT THE ACFT THEY RPTED WAS INDEED MY ACFT. HOWEVER, I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHAT ALT I WAS RPTED TO BE FLYING AT, ONLY DESCRIBED AS 'LOW PASSES.' I ALSO CAN'T EXPLAIN THE CLAIM OF ABRUPT MANEUVERING, AS I HAVE NEVER OPERATED THIS OR ANY OTHER ACFT IN ANY MANNER OF AEROBATIC FLT. THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN QUESTION IS ABOUT 1 CITY BLOCK FROM MY HOUSE, BUT I WAS NOT ORBITING THE AREA OF THE SCHOOL. THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS ORBITING THE AREA OF LONE MOUNTAIN AND MY HOUSE I WAS AT A SAFE AND LAWFUL ALT. AT NO TIME DID I ENDANGER MYSELF OR ANY PERSON OR PROPERTY. THE AREA DUE N OF MY HOUSE AND THE AREA SURROUNDING LONE MOUNTAIN IS AN UNINCORPORATED AREA OF CLARK COUNTY AND IS SPARSELY POPULATED BY MULTIPLE ACRE RANCH-STYLE HOME SITES, BUT MOSTLY UNOCCUPIED LAND. I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE MINIMUM ALT REQUIREMENTS PROVIDED BY THE FAR'S AND DO NOT BELIEVE THAT I VIOLATED SUCH ALTS DURING THE FLT IN QUESTION. IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THE DATE OF THE FLT WAS NEAR THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE 9/11/01 TRAGEDY INVOLVING ACFT, IT HAS OCCURRED TO ME THAT THE PERSON FILING THE COMPLAINT WITH THE FAA MAY HAVE BEEN OVER ZEALOUS OR UNEASY ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF AN ACFT IN THE AREA ON SUCH A TENSE AND TRAGIC ANNIVERSARY DATE. WHILE I CAN EMPATHIZE WITH SUCH THOUGHTS, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY VIOLATION OCCURRED DURING THE FLT IN QUESTION.

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.