Narrative:

During the afternoon of 4/89 I was giving rides to friends in my 1941 small aircraft. I was flying out of palomar airport, carlsbad, ca, and was in contact with its tower for takeoffs and lndgs. The rides went exceptionally well and I hangared my plane and we all visited around the hangar for quite a while. The next day, about noon, an acquaintance of mine called to tell me that he had just heard that 2 FAA men had been at air maintenance facility early that morning asking about a yellow bi-plane--who owned it, where it is kept, its #, and had anyone seen it flying yesterday. He wanted to know if anyone had called me. I had not heard a thing, however about xx pm that after (4/89) an FAA rep called me at my office saying that someone had called the FAA yesterday and that they (the FAA) were preparing a full investigation of me and my aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states he has been told his aircraft was spotted flying low over populated area. Also states he is very cautious about avoidance of populated areas on departing, so much so that the tower clears him on a specific pattern over a lagoon directly to the shore line. His usual altitude is 1500-500' off shore. He has mode C and LORAN in this antique airplane specifically to be safe and legal. There are 3 planes of the same type with similar markings in the area, one of which was flying the same day and time as reporter saw it as he was flying. Feels strongly he has done nothing wrong and is disturbed by FAA attitude of, 'I'm gonna getcha.' ready to fight them all the way.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF LOW FLYING, BUT OFF SHORE AT THE TIME.

Narrative: DURING THE AFTERNOON OF 4/89 I WAS GIVING RIDES TO FRIENDS IN MY 1941 SMA. I WAS FLYING OUT OF PALOMAR ARPT, CARLSBAD, CA, AND WAS IN CONTACT WITH ITS TWR FOR TKOFS AND LNDGS. THE RIDES WENT EXCEPTIONALLY WELL AND I HANGARED MY PLANE AND WE ALL VISITED AROUND THE HANGAR FOR QUITE A WHILE. THE NEXT DAY, ABOUT NOON, AN ACQUAINTANCE OF MINE CALLED TO TELL ME THAT HE HAD JUST HEARD THAT 2 FAA MEN HAD BEEN AT AIR MAINT FAC EARLY THAT MORNING ASKING ABOUT A YELLOW BI-PLANE--WHO OWNED IT, WHERE IT IS KEPT, ITS #, AND HAD ANYONE SEEN IT FLYING YESTERDAY. HE WANTED TO KNOW IF ANYONE HAD CALLED ME. I HAD NOT HEARD A THING, HOWEVER ABOUT XX PM THAT AFTER (4/89) AN FAA REP CALLED ME AT MY OFFICE SAYING THAT SOMEONE HAD CALLED THE FAA YESTERDAY AND THAT THEY (THE FAA) WERE PREPARING A FULL INVESTIGATION OF ME AND MY ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES HE HAS BEEN TOLD HIS ACFT WAS SPOTTED FLYING LOW OVER POPULATED AREA. ALSO STATES HE IS VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT AVOIDANCE OF POPULATED AREAS ON DEPARTING, SO MUCH SO THAT THE TWR CLEARS HIM ON A SPECIFIC PATTERN OVER A LAGOON DIRECTLY TO THE SHORE LINE. HIS USUAL ALT IS 1500-500' OFF SHORE. HE HAS MODE C AND LORAN IN THIS ANTIQUE AIRPLANE SPECIFICALLY TO BE SAFE AND LEGAL. THERE ARE 3 PLANES OF THE SAME TYPE WITH SIMILAR MARKINGS IN THE AREA, ONE OF WHICH WAS FLYING THE SAME DAY AND TIME AS RPTR SAW IT AS HE WAS FLYING. FEELS STRONGLY HE HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG AND IS DISTURBED BY FAA ATTITUDE OF, 'I'M GONNA GETCHA.' READY TO FIGHT THEM ALL THE WAY.

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.