Narrative:

Sep/xa/08; at XA47Z I contacted flight service and received a standard briefing. Shortly thereafter I prepared my piper J3 cub floatplane and departed the area for my destination. I flew at legal VFR cruising altitudes. As reported in the aforementioned standard briefing I did experience moderate turbulence and windshear throughout the defined route of flight. I aborted a landing on the southwest end of the lake due to low level turbulence; windshear; and lake obstructions. At this time I commenced on my route of flight southward over the golf course. According to sergeant X of the county sheriff department during climb out/departure of the aborted landing and passage of the golf course a golfer called emergency personnel stating an aircraft flew over the golf course with wings rocking and engine sputtering. The individual then apparently stated he believed the aircraft crashed. In addition sergeant X stated the airplane was seen headed sbound flying at safe altitudes with a landing at another lake. Miss Y after hearing the proclivity of commotion on her scanner; witnessed a floatplane land on the lake. She stated the pilot stopped to fix the propeller; and mins later taking off headed sbound. In reality I attempted to land on the first lake to relieve myself; but due to WX constraints and other parameters could not due so safely; thus aborting the landing and continued sbound. Due to moderate turbulence; windshear and closely spaced isobars the wings were rocking the entire route of flight. Subsequently speaking with one of the search and rescue pilots he stated his wings were rocking as well. I could safely maneuver my aircraft for landing at the second lake facilitating attention to my biological issue. The airplane; a 1946 piper J3 cub does not have an electrical system therefore it needs to be started by hand. This is what I was doing: starting my airplane and what miss Y instructed law enforcement as 'fixing the propeller.' I continued on my way home; arrived safely; tied my floatplane to the dock; just as I do every time. I never broke any far's and operated my aircraft in a safe and responsible manner and had no mechanical issues with the airplane I was plting. Unfortunately; a golfer with a cell phone trying to save the world was the catalyst for the much wasted time of private search personnel; law enforcement officers and many search and rescue airplanes being deployed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SEARCH AND RESCUE IS LAUNCHED FOR J3 FLOAT PLANE PILOT AFTER ABORTED LANDING ON LAKE AND LOW FLIGHT OVER GOLF COURSE IN TURBULENT CONDITIONS.

Narrative: SEP/XA/08; AT XA47Z I CONTACTED FLT SVC AND RECEIVED A STANDARD BRIEFING. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I PREPARED MY PIPER J3 CUB FLOATPLANE AND DEPARTED THE AREA FOR MY DEST. I FLEW AT LEGAL VFR CRUISING ALTS. AS RPTED IN THE AFOREMENTIONED STANDARD BRIEFING I DID EXPERIENCE MODERATE TURB AND WINDSHEAR THROUGHOUT THE DEFINED RTE OF FLT. I ABORTED A LNDG ON THE SW END OF THE LAKE DUE TO LOW LEVEL TURB; WINDSHEAR; AND LAKE OBSTRUCTIONS. AT THIS TIME I COMMENCED ON MY RTE OF FLT SOUTHWARD OVER THE GOLF COURSE. ACCORDING TO SERGEANT X OF THE COUNTY SHERIFF DEPT DURING CLBOUT/DEP OF THE ABORTED LNDG AND PASSAGE OF THE GOLF COURSE A GOLFER CALLED EMER PERSONNEL STATING An ACFT FLEW OVER THE GOLF COURSE WITH WINGS ROCKING AND ENG SPUTTERING. THE INDIVIDUAL THEN APPARENTLY STATED HE BELIEVED THE ACFT CRASHED. IN ADDITION SERGEANT X STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS SEEN HEADED SBOUND FLYING AT SAFE ALTS WITH A LNDG AT ANOTHER LAKE. MISS Y AFTER HEARING THE PROCLIVITY OF COMMOTION ON HER SCANNER; WITNESSED A FLOATPLANE LAND ON THE LAKE. SHE STATED THE PLT STOPPED TO FIX THE PROP; AND MINS LATER TAKING OFF HEADED SBOUND. IN REALITY I ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON THE FIRST LAKE TO RELIEVE MYSELF; BUT DUE TO WX CONSTRAINTS AND OTHER PARAMETERS COULD NOT DUE SO SAFELY; THUS ABORTING THE LNDG AND CONTINUED SBOUND. DUE TO MODERATE TURB; WINDSHEAR AND CLOSELY SPACED ISOBARS THE WINGS WERE ROCKING THE ENTIRE RTE OF FLT. SUBSEQUENTLY SPEAKING WITH ONE OF THE SEARCH AND RESCUE PLTS HE STATED HIS WINGS WERE ROCKING AS WELL. I COULD SAFELY MANEUVER MY ACFT FOR LNDG AT THE SECOND LAKE FACILITATING ATTN TO MY BIOLOGICAL ISSUE. THE AIRPLANE; A 1946 PIPER J3 CUB DOES NOT HAVE AN ELECTRICAL SYS THEREFORE IT NEEDS TO BE STARTED BY HAND. THIS IS WHAT I WAS DOING: STARTING MY AIRPLANE AND WHAT MISS Y INSTRUCTED LAW ENFORCEMENT AS 'FIXING THE PROP.' I CONTINUED ON MY WAY HOME; ARRIVED SAFELY; TIED MY FLOATPLANE TO THE DOCK; JUST AS I DO EVERY TIME. I NEVER BROKE ANY FAR'S AND OPERATED MY ACFT IN A SAFE AND RESPONSIBLE MANNER AND HAD NO MECHANICAL ISSUES WITH THE AIRPLANE I WAS PLTING. UNFORTUNATELY; A GOLFER WITH A CELL PHONE TRYING TO SAVE THE WORLD WAS THE CATALYST FOR THE MUCH WASTED TIME OF PVT SEARCH PERSONNEL; LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND MANY SEARCH AND RESCUE AIRPLANES BEING DEPLOYED.

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.