Small aircraft on photo mission flew over populated area at less than 1000' AGL.

Attributes
ACN	89421
Time
Date	198806
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : srq
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 500 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	89421
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 350 flight time total : 18800
ASRS Report	89432
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Our flight departed sarasota airport at approximately 1130 hours on 6/xx/88 to photograph the shoreline of ana maria island. After reaching a given altitude of 1600', sarasota tower handed us over to tpa approach control. We stayed with approach during the entire flight on a given transponder code, under VFR conditions with altitude minimums attempted in accordance with far 91.79. Our flight continued to the north end of the island and then turned southbound dropping to an altitude of 500' over the water. An inward turn toward the shoreline was made. Due to a west wind and the confusion of the 2 pilots and photographer, we had drifted over the land west/O enough room to turn around over the water in order to continue our flight at 500'. Alternately, we came out of the turn, due to a malfunction of the propeller, unsuccessfully attempted climb power to gain an altitude of 1000'. The propeller circuit breaker was tripped in the automatic position which has occurred on previous occasions with this aircraft. While trying to reset the circuit breaker, we continued our flight over land toward the intercoastal which was closer now than turning back to the shoreline. Once over the water we were able to reset the circuit breaker in the manual position, gain power, retract the flaps and climb to 1000' in order to return to the airport. Supplemental information from acn 89432: the aircraft had been maneuvering at a reduced airspeed with flaps extended and when a climb was attempted climb RPM could not be obtained.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON PHOTO MISSION FLEW OVER POPULATED AREA AT LESS THAN 1000' AGL.

Narrative: OUR FLT DEPARTED SARASOTA ARPT AT APPROX 1130 HRS ON 6/XX/88 TO PHOTOGRAPH THE SHORELINE OF ANA MARIA ISLAND. AFTER REACHING A GIVEN ALT OF 1600', SARASOTA TWR HANDED US OVER TO TPA APCH CTL. WE STAYED WITH APCH DURING THE ENTIRE FLT ON A GIVEN TRANSPONDER CODE, UNDER VFR CONDITIONS WITH ALT MINIMUMS ATTEMPTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAR 91.79. OUR FLT CONTINUED TO THE N END OF THE ISLAND AND THEN TURNED SBND DROPPING TO AN ALT OF 500' OVER THE WATER. AN INWARD TURN TOWARD THE SHORELINE WAS MADE. DUE TO A W WIND AND THE CONFUSION OF THE 2 PLTS AND PHOTOGRAPHER, WE HAD DRIFTED OVER THE LAND W/O ENOUGH ROOM TO TURN AROUND OVER THE WATER IN ORDER TO CONTINUE OUR FLT AT 500'. ALTERNATELY, WE CAME OUT OF THE TURN, DUE TO A MALFUNCTION OF THE PROP, UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPTED CLB PWR TO GAIN AN ALT OF 1000'. THE PROP CB WAS TRIPPED IN THE AUTO POS WHICH HAS OCCURRED ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS WITH THIS ACFT. WHILE TRYING TO RESET THE CB, WE CONTINUED OUR FLT OVER LAND TOWARD THE INTERCOASTAL WHICH WAS CLOSER NOW THAN TURNING BACK TO THE SHORELINE. ONCE OVER THE WATER WE WERE ABLE TO RESET THE CB IN THE MANUAL POS, GAIN PWR, RETRACT THE FLAPS AND CLB TO 1000' IN ORDER TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 89432: THE ACFT HAD BEEN MANEUVERING AT A REDUCED AIRSPD WITH FLAPS EXTENDED AND WHEN A CLB WAS ATTEMPTED CLB RPM COULD NOT BE OBTAINED.

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.