A C206 photo shoot pilot admits to low flight over a ski slope 23 mi southeast of pmd, ca.

Attributes
ACN	607100
Time
Date	200402
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : pmd.vortac
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna Stationair/Turbo Stationair 6
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level ground : position and hold
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 1200 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	60710
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was on a photo mission near wrightwood. As I got closer to the photo site, I decided to descend to 8000 ft MSL (the photo site altitude) and turn direct toward my site. As I got even closer to my site, I saw that there was a cloud right on top of the site and was not going to be able to complete the mission so I made a left turn to avoid the cloud and proceed to my next site located 5 mi to the north. Once on my new heading approximately 040-090 degrees my attention was still focused on the clouded over photo site to see if there was any possibility to come back to the site later. I decided to skip the site for the day due to the heavy clouds. As I looked forward again to steer the plane to the next site using my GPS (still at around 8000 ft +/-100 ft), I noticed that the plane was going to fly right over a ski slope at or below 300 ft AGL. At that time I decided to continue on the same heading and altitude and not make an abrupt maneuver to climb or change the course of the airplane because I knew that we had enough ground clearance to overfly safely. 5 seconds later I overflew the ski slopes at the low altitude and then continued to the next site without further incident. Contributing factors may have been paying too much attention to the photo site and not enough to terrain separation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C206 PHOTO SHOOT PLT ADMITS TO LOW FLT OVER A SKI SLOPE 23 MI SE OF PMD, CA.

Narrative: I WAS ON A PHOTO MISSION NEAR WRIGHTWOOD. AS I GOT CLOSER TO THE PHOTO SITE, I DECIDED TO DSND TO 8000 FT MSL (THE PHOTO SITE ALT) AND TURN DIRECT TOWARD MY SITE. AS I GOT EVEN CLOSER TO MY SITE, I SAW THAT THERE WAS A CLOUD RIGHT ON TOP OF THE SITE AND WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE MISSION SO I MADE A L TURN TO AVOID THE CLOUD AND PROCEED TO MY NEXT SITE LOCATED 5 MI TO THE N. ONCE ON MY NEW HDG APPROX 040-090 DEGS MY ATTN WAS STILL FOCUSED ON THE CLOUDED OVER PHOTO SITE TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY POSSIBILITY TO COME BACK TO THE SITE LATER. I DECIDED TO SKIP THE SITE FOR THE DAY DUE TO THE HVY CLOUDS. AS I LOOKED FORWARD AGAIN TO STEER THE PLANE TO THE NEXT SITE USING MY GPS (STILL AT AROUND 8000 FT +/-100 FT), I NOTICED THAT THE PLANE WAS GOING TO FLY RIGHT OVER A SKI SLOPE AT OR BELOW 300 FT AGL. AT THAT TIME I DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON THE SAME HDG AND ALT AND NOT MAKE AN ABRUPT MANEUVER TO CLB OR CHANGE THE COURSE OF THE AIRPLANE BECAUSE I KNEW THAT WE HAD ENOUGH GND CLRNC TO OVERFLY SAFELY. 5 SECONDS LATER I OVERFLEW THE SKI SLOPES AT THE LOW ALT AND THEN CONTINUED TO THE NEXT SITE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS MAY HAVE BEEN PAYING TOO MUCH ATTN TO THE PHOTO SITE AND NOT ENOUGH TO TERRAIN SEPARATION.

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.