Narrative:

I landed my small aircraft at katama field on martha's vineyard, ma. It is not uncommon for me to take off and land 2-3 times a week at this field. My positions and intentions were announced on 122.8. My landing was normal and a very smooth touchdown was made past the threshold markers on that runway. As we got out of the plane, 2 state policemen approached me. They were officer X and officer Y. They told me that I had come so close to their car they were driving on the road at the approach end of runway 6 that they felt afraid and had to put on their brakes to avoid 'hitting my airplane'. Please note that my airplane was still in the air at that time. I explained to the officers that I could not have come so close to their car without colliding with the bushes at the end of the runway, and that the road is about 30' from the end of the runway, therefore, the 'perception' may have been that the planes coming in were very low, but actuality my plane and others are really 30-50' above the road at that point, and they were in no danger at all. The 2 law enforcement officers asked for my 'license' and I gave them my airman's certificate. They said they were going to file a 'report' with the FAA. I tried to explain to them that it might be a good idea to put some 'low-flying aircraft' signs there at the end of the runway, but they were only interested in their 'report' of what I had done. What I had done was to operate my airplane in accordance with the rules and procedures of safe flight, and had made a normal landing at a legal airfield. I phoned the police station when I got home to check on the status of the 'report'. I spoke to officer X. He said they had gone back to the road after they spoke with me and observed 'many more planes coming in too low' in their opinion, but they did not talk with any other pilots and were only going to mention my name in their report to the FAA because I was the pilot who 'had endangered their lives'. The police officers concerned are obviously not pilots, nor do they seem to know anything about the operation of an aircraft. I have been told by officer X that I will receive a copy of his report to the FAA. At this time, I cannot imagine what will be in this report to the FAA because there was no accident, injury, property damage or infringement of any FAA rule or regulation on my part. It seems that I am being reported for flying my airplane in a safe manner by people who have no idea whether or not I did so. I am personally going to send a copy of this report to the FAA. As you can imagine, this has been a very frustrating experience and I want to make sure that all concerned understand exactly what happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOCAL POLICE FEEL ACFT FLEW TOO LOW OVER ROAD ON APCH. WILL FILE REPORT WITH FAA.

Narrative: I LANDED MY SMA AT KATAMA FIELD ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD, MA. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR ME TO TAKE OFF AND LAND 2-3 TIMES A WEEK AT THIS FIELD. MY POSITIONS AND INTENTIONS WERE ANNOUNCED ON 122.8. MY LNDG WAS NORMAL AND A VERY SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN WAS MADE PAST THE THRESHOLD MARKERS ON THAT RWY. AS WE GOT OUT OF THE PLANE, 2 STATE POLICEMEN APCHED ME. THEY WERE OFFICER X AND OFFICER Y. THEY TOLD ME THAT I HAD COME SO CLOSE TO THEIR CAR THEY WERE DRIVING ON THE ROAD AT THE APCH END OF RWY 6 THAT THEY FELT AFRAID AND HAD TO PUT ON THEIR BRAKES TO AVOID 'HITTING MY AIRPLANE'. PLEASE NOTE THAT MY AIRPLANE WAS STILL IN THE AIR AT THAT TIME. I EXPLAINED TO THE OFFICERS THAT I COULD NOT HAVE COME SO CLOSE TO THEIR CAR WITHOUT COLLIDING WITH THE BUSHES AT THE END OF THE RWY, AND THAT THE ROAD IS ABOUT 30' FROM THE END OF THE RWY, THEREFORE, THE 'PERCEPTION' MAY HAVE BEEN THAT THE PLANES COMING IN WERE VERY LOW, BUT ACTUALITY MY PLANE AND OTHERS ARE REALLY 30-50' ABOVE THE ROAD AT THAT POINT, AND THEY WERE IN NO DANGER AT ALL. THE 2 LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ASKED FOR MY 'LICENSE' AND I GAVE THEM MY AIRMAN'S CERTIFICATE. THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO FILE A 'REPORT' WITH THE FAA. I TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO PUT SOME 'LOW-FLYING ACFT' SIGNS THERE AT THE END OF THE RWY, BUT THEY WERE ONLY INTERESTED IN THEIR 'REPORT' OF WHAT I HAD DONE. WHAT I HAD DONE WAS TO OPERATE MY AIRPLANE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES AND PROCS OF SAFE FLT, AND HAD MADE A NORMAL LNDG AT A LEGAL AIRFIELD. I PHONED THE POLICE STATION WHEN I GOT HOME TO CHECK ON THE STATUS OF THE 'REPORT'. I SPOKE TO OFFICER X. HE SAID THEY HAD GONE BACK TO THE ROAD AFTER THEY SPOKE WITH ME AND OBSERVED 'MANY MORE PLANES COMING IN TOO LOW' IN THEIR OPINION, BUT THEY DID NOT TALK WITH ANY OTHER PLTS AND WERE ONLY GOING TO MENTION MY NAME IN THEIR REPORT TO THE FAA BECAUSE I WAS THE PLT WHO 'HAD ENDANGERED THEIR LIVES'. THE POLICE OFFICERS CONCERNED ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT PLTS, NOR DO THEY SEEM TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE OPERATION OF AN ACFT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY OFFICER X THAT I WILL RECEIVE A COPY OF HIS REPORT TO THE FAA. AT THIS TIME, I CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT WILL BE IN THIS REPORT TO THE FAA BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, INJURY, PROPERTY DAMAGE OR INFRINGEMENT OF ANY FAA RULE OR REG ON MY PART. IT SEEMS THAT I AM BEING REPORTED FOR FLYING MY AIRPLANE IN A SAFE MANNER BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER OR NOT I DID SO. I AM PERSONALLY GOING TO SEND A COPY OF THIS REPORT TO THE FAA. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCE AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL CONCERNED UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.

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.