Narrative:

While working with a student in preparation for his checkride with the FAA the situation arose to simulate an emergency forced landing. We were over the city of pasadena and keeping mindful of the 1000' AGL limit for congested areas I began to look for an area which would pose no threat to either passengers in the aircraft or anything on the ground. After checking the left.a. Terminal chart, I found an area which I felt would fit the need. (Please find enclosed a section of the chart that I was using that shows the area we were in.) I simulated an engine out by closing the throttle and having the student establish the proper glide. Upon reaching 1600' MSL I added the power and continued to circle over the golf course north of the rose bowl while critiquing the actions of the student. We were at 700' AGL when a helicopter that we had seen east of us flew directly below us. I felt quite strange that someone would intentionally come so close to us. As we started back to burbank I noticed that the helicopter was following us to the airport. As it turned out, this was the pasadena police who were flying an unmarked orange helicopter. When I went out to speak with with the officer he immediately asked to see my pilot certificate. When I asked him what the problem was he told me that I had been flying 300' below the legal limit in the city of pasadena. When I told him how I saw the situation he said I was wrong in my interpretation of the law and got quite nasty telling me of my poor judgement with a student on board. Although he said that what I was doing was not dangerous in his opinion he felt that it was his obligation to submit a report to the FAA. On a piece of paper I have labeled sheet three you will find the existence of a city that they show would be a yellow tint. This corresponds with the way I was taught regarding populated areas. Also find enclosed a photocopy of the aim that tells of populated areas being shown on terminal charts (sheet #2). I can only assume that these are the areas shown in yellow. As you can see by the arrow on the part of the chart I have enclosed, I was not in the yellow section. Later that same day I called my local GADO office to inquire about the questions that I had. They replied that they did not have a set definition of a congested area and gave me the number of the legal department in la. He also replied that he could not define what was congested and what the FARS state as sparsely populated areas. It seems to me that this law needs some clarification. The FARS are quite explicit in their intent and I feel this kind of ambiguity has no place in aviation. I was not posing a threat to either myself or anyone on the ground. There is no doubt in my mind that I could have made a safe landing if the engine had died on the golf course that was below me at the time. I also have a tough time picturing the golf course as a congested area at that time of the day. In which case I was well within the legal limits set by the law. We must have a clear understanding of what a congested area is and what is not, so misunderstandings like this one do not occur.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA ON TRAINING FLT SIMULATED EMERGENCY LNDG OVER CONGESTED AREA AND WAS REPORTED BY POLICE AIR PATROL.

Narrative: WHILE WORKING WITH A STUDENT IN PREPARATION FOR HIS CHECKRIDE WITH THE FAA THE SITUATION AROSE TO SIMULATE AN EMER FORCED LNDG. WE WERE OVER THE CITY OF PASADENA AND KEEPING MINDFUL OF THE 1000' AGL LIMIT FOR CONGESTED AREAS I BEGAN TO LOOK FOR AN AREA WHICH WOULD POSE NO THREAT TO EITHER PASSENGERS IN THE ACFT OR ANYTHING ON THE GND. AFTER CHECKING THE L.A. TERMINAL CHART, I FOUND AN AREA WHICH I FELT WOULD FIT THE NEED. (PLEASE FIND ENCLOSED A SECTION OF THE CHART THAT I WAS USING THAT SHOWS THE AREA WE WERE IN.) I SIMULATED AN ENGINE OUT BY CLOSING THE THROTTLE AND HAVING THE STUDENT ESTABLISH THE PROPER GLIDE. UPON REACHING 1600' MSL I ADDED THE POWER AND CONTINUED TO CIRCLE OVER THE GOLF COURSE NORTH OF THE ROSE BOWL WHILE CRITIQUING THE ACTIONS OF THE STUDENT. WE WERE AT 700' AGL WHEN A HELI THAT WE HAD SEEN EAST OF US FLEW DIRECTLY BELOW US. I FELT QUITE STRANGE THAT SOMEONE WOULD INTENTIONALLY COME SO CLOSE TO US. AS WE STARTED BACK TO BURBANK I NOTICED THAT THE HELI WAS FOLLOWING US TO THE ARPT. AS IT TURNED OUT, THIS WAS THE PASADENA POLICE WHO WERE FLYING AN UNMARKED ORANGE HELI. WHEN I WENT OUT TO SPEAK WITH WITH THE OFFICER HE IMMEDIATELY ASKED TO SEE MY PLT CERTIFICATE. WHEN I ASKED HIM WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS HE TOLD ME THAT I HAD BEEN FLYING 300' BELOW THE LEGAL LIMIT IN THE CITY OF PASADENA. WHEN I TOLD HIM HOW I SAW THE SITUATION HE SAID I WAS WRONG IN MY INTERPRETATION OF THE LAW AND GOT QUITE NASTY TELLING ME OF MY POOR JUDGEMENT WITH A STUDENT ON BOARD. ALTHOUGH HE SAID THAT WHAT I WAS DOING WAS NOT DANGEROUS IN HIS OPINION HE FELT THAT IT WAS HIS OBLIGATION TO SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE FAA. ON A PIECE OF PAPER I HAVE LABELED SHEET THREE YOU WILL FIND THE EXISTENCE OF A CITY THAT THEY SHOW WOULD BE A YELLOW TINT. THIS CORRESPONDS WITH THE WAY I WAS TAUGHT REGARDING POPULATED AREAS. ALSO FIND ENCLOSED A PHOTOCOPY OF THE AIM THAT TELLS OF POPULATED AREAS BEING SHOWN ON TERMINAL CHARTS (SHEET #2). I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT THESE ARE THE AREAS SHOWN IN YELLOW. AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE ARROW ON THE PART OF THE CHART I HAVE ENCLOSED, I WAS NOT IN THE YELLOW SECTION. LATER THAT SAME DAY I CALLED MY LOCAL GADO OFFICE TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD. THEY REPLIED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE A SET DEFINITION OF A CONGESTED AREA AND GAVE ME THE NUMBER OF THE LEGAL DEPT IN LA. HE ALSO REPLIED THAT HE COULD NOT DEFINE WHAT WAS CONGESTED AND WHAT THE FARS STATE AS SPARSELY POPULATED AREAS. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS LAW NEEDS SOME CLARIFICATION. THE FARS ARE QUITE EXPLICIT IN THEIR INTENT AND I FEEL THIS KIND OF AMBIGUITY HAS NO PLACE IN AVIATION. I WAS NOT POSING A THREAT TO EITHER MYSELF OR ANYONE ON THE GND. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT I COULD HAVE MADE A SAFE LNDG IF THE ENGINE HAD DIED ON THE GOLF COURSE THAT WAS BELOW ME AT THE TIME. I ALSO HAVE A TOUGH TIME PICTURING THE GOLF COURSE AS A CONGESTED AREA AT THAT TIME OF THE DAY. IN WHICH CASE I WAS WELL WITHIN THE LEGAL LIMITS SET BY THE LAW. WE MUST HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT A CONGESTED AREA IS AND WHAT IS NOT, SO MISUNDERSTANDINGS LIKE THIS ONE DO NOT OCCUR.

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.