Narrative:

While operating on a part 91 revenue photography mission in a region I was unfamiliar with, I contacted troutdale, oregon, tower when I was about 5 mi south. I told them I needed to operate about 3 mi north of the airport at 1000' AGL for a photography mission. They told me to remain east of the 'the water tower on prune hill to avoid portland's airspace.' I thought they meant one of the several hills south of the airport, but later found out that prune hill is northwest of the field. ( I should have told them I was unfamiliar with the area and asked for details, but I didn't.) when I was 1 mi north of the airport, there was a large hill ahead that was obscured by clouds. My photographer/passenger told me to go around the hill because the object of his photography was about another 2 mi past it. He wasn't sure because he was having a hard time orienting himself from the airplane. The terrain to the east was higher, so I went around the hill to the west. When I thought I was clear of the troutdale air traffic area, I reported so to the tower. At that time they told me I had disobeyed instructions to remain east of prune hill and that by not doing so, I had violated the pdx arsa. I then told them I was unfamiliar with the area and signed off. I should have cancelled the flight when I saw how poor the WX was. I flew into scattered clouds en route from hio to ttd while trying to maintain terrain clearance over a large hill east of hio and over the city of portland. However, I was not concerned for my safety because visibility was reasonable and actual ceiling wasn't too bad--perhaps 2000' or so. I was only worried about violating regulations regarding VFR operations, minimum safe altitudes and airspace. I had many opportunities to discontinue the flight, but did not. I should have confessed my unfamiliarity with the area to ATC. It is very hard to see when the arsa begins--especially since I couldn't see pdx. There is a small notch in the airspace around an airport called evergreen, and I thought I was operating in that notch.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA ON PHOTO FLT IN MARGINAL WX UNAUTH PENETRATION OF ARSA.

Narrative: WHILE OPERATING ON A PART 91 REVENUE PHOTOGRAPHY MISSION IN A REGION I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH, I CONTACTED TROUTDALE, OREGON, TWR WHEN I WAS ABOUT 5 MI S. I TOLD THEM I NEEDED TO OPERATE ABOUT 3 MI N OF THE ARPT AT 1000' AGL FOR A PHOTOGRAPHY MISSION. THEY TOLD ME TO REMAIN E OF THE 'THE WATER TOWER ON PRUNE HILL TO AVOID PORTLAND'S AIRSPACE.' I THOUGHT THEY MEANT ONE OF THE SEVERAL HILLS S OF THE ARPT, BUT LATER FOUND OUT THAT PRUNE HILL IS NW OF THE FIELD. ( I SHOULD HAVE TOLD THEM I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND ASKED FOR DETAILS, BUT I DIDN'T.) WHEN I WAS 1 MI N OF THE ARPT, THERE WAS A LARGE HILL AHEAD THAT WAS OBSCURED BY CLOUDS. MY PHOTOGRAPHER/PAX TOLD ME TO GO AROUND THE HILL BECAUSE THE OBJECT OF HIS PHOTOGRAPHY WAS ABOUT ANOTHER 2 MI PAST IT. HE WASN'T SURE BECAUSE HE WAS HAVING A HARD TIME ORIENTING HIMSELF FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE TERRAIN TO THE E WAS HIGHER, SO I WENT AROUND THE HILL TO THE W. WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS CLR OF THE TROUTDALE ATA, I RPTED SO TO THE TWR. AT THAT TIME THEY TOLD ME I HAD DISOBEYED INSTRUCTIONS TO REMAIN E OF PRUNE HILL AND THAT BY NOT DOING SO, I HAD VIOLATED THE PDX ARSA. I THEN TOLD THEM I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND SIGNED OFF. I SHOULD HAVE CANCELLED THE FLT WHEN I SAW HOW POOR THE WX WAS. I FLEW INTO SCATTERED CLOUDS ENRTE FROM HIO TO TTD WHILE TRYING TO MAINTAIN TERRAIN CLRNC OVER A LARGE HILL E OF HIO AND OVER THE CITY OF PORTLAND. HOWEVER, I WAS NOT CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY BECAUSE VIS WAS REASONABLE AND ACTUAL CEILING WASN'T TOO BAD--PERHAPS 2000' OR SO. I WAS ONLY WORRIED ABOUT VIOLATING REGS REGARDING VFR OPS, MINIMUM SAFE ALTS AND AIRSPACE. I HAD MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO DISCONTINUE THE FLT, BUT DID NOT. I SHOULD HAVE CONFESSED MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA TO ATC. IT IS VERY HARD TO SEE WHEN THE ARSA BEGINS--ESPECIALLY SINCE I COULDN'T SEE PDX. THERE IS A SMALL NOTCH IN THE AIRSPACE AROUND AN ARPT CALLED EVERGREEN, AND I THOUGHT I WAS OPERATING IN THAT NOTCH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.