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Inexperienced private pilot flies below minimum AGL over congested area. Witnessed by police helicopter.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 798604 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200808 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : emt.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 130 flight time type : 16 |
| ASRS Report | 798604 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact none taken : unable |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
I was flying around hacienda heights to check out the location of my house with my family members in-flight. I am just using the estimated elevation from el monte airport to estimate my field elevation. Due to the altimeter only shown the MSL but not AGL; I mis-estimated the minimum altitude on the congested area. After I checked out my house; suddenly; I found out that there was a black helicopter flying towards me. I felt that helicopter was a little bit strange. I just pulled my yoke to climb back again instantly. Then I continued to fly back to my home airport (el monte airport). At that moment; the cops contacted the tower frequency to talk to me; said that I violated the far from flying too low.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: INEXPERIENCED PRIVATE PLT FLIES BELOW MINIMUM AGL OVER CONGESTED AREA. WITNESSED BY POLICE HELICOPTER.
Narrative: I WAS FLYING AROUND HACIENDA HEIGHTS TO CHK OUT THE LOCATION OF MY HOUSE WITH MY FAMILY MEMBERS INFLT. I AM JUST USING THE ESTIMATED ELEVATION FROM EL MONTE ARPT TO ESTIMATE MY FIELD ELEVATION. DUE TO THE ALTIMETER ONLY SHOWN THE MSL BUT NOT AGL; I MIS-ESTIMATED THE MINIMUM ALT ON THE CONGESTED AREA. AFTER I CHKED OUT MY HOUSE; SUDDENLY; I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A BLACK HELI FLYING TOWARDS ME. I FELT THAT HELI WAS A LITTLE BIT STRANGE. I JUST PULLED MY YOKE TO CLB BACK AGAIN INSTANTLY. THEN I CONTINUED TO FLY BACK TO MY HOME ARPT (EL MONTE ARPT). AT THAT MOMENT; THE COPS CONTACTED THE TWR FREQ TO TALK TO ME; SAID THAT I VIOLATED THE FAR FROM FLYING TOO LOW.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.