Narrative:

My student and I departed ldm. We headed north to the practice area to do some air work. We flew at an altitude of 2500' MSL. After doing some air work, we returned to the airport. The winds were light out of the east. We decided to enter on a base leg for the runway. We were heading at this time to the south. We had slowed the airplane down and turned onto our final at approximately 1400-1500' MSL, or 800-900' above the ground. Made a normal approach to landing. We were on a touch and go, so we went around 2 more times. I was informed on the radio that a mr. Xx was there to see me. I didn't think anything of it. When we finished we taxied in and I was met by mr. Xx, who immediately accused me of flying at 200-300' above the city doing 180 degree turns. I told him no, that was not me. He refused to even listen to my student, who has around 7 hours of instruction and has flown many times with her husband. Mr. Xx then said I was in violation of the regulations because he was an FAA inspector and what he saw was all that matters. I did not at any time break any regulation pertaining to low flight. I did not feel that anything was out of the ordinary on this lesson, or any of the approach to lndgs. I did not fly across the city at 200-300' AGL doing 180 degree turns. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states he received letter from FAA re: incident. He and student have both written letters to FAA manager re: behavior of FAA representative. Both vehemently deny alleged low flight or turns. Too busy doing training.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH STUDENT PLT ACCUSED OF LOW FLT AND 180 DEG TURNS OVER CITY.

Narrative: MY STUDENT AND I DEPARTED LDM. WE HEADED N TO THE PRACTICE AREA TO DO SOME AIR WORK. WE FLEW AT AN ALT OF 2500' MSL. AFTER DOING SOME AIR WORK, WE RETURNED TO THE ARPT. THE WINDS WERE LIGHT OUT OF THE E. WE DECIDED TO ENTER ON A BASE LEG FOR THE RWY. WE WERE HDG AT THIS TIME TO THE S. WE HAD SLOWED THE AIRPLANE DOWN AND TURNED ONTO OUR FINAL AT APPROX 1400-1500' MSL, OR 800-900' ABOVE THE GND. MADE A NORMAL APCH TO LNDG. WE WERE ON A TOUCH AND GO, SO WE WENT AROUND 2 MORE TIMES. I WAS INFORMED ON THE RADIO THAT A MR. XX WAS THERE TO SEE ME. I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT. WHEN WE FINISHED WE TAXIED IN AND I WAS MET BY MR. XX, WHO IMMEDIATELY ACCUSED ME OF FLYING AT 200-300' ABOVE THE CITY DOING 180 DEG TURNS. I TOLD HIM NO, THAT WAS NOT ME. HE REFUSED TO EVEN LISTEN TO MY STUDENT, WHO HAS AROUND 7 HRS OF INSTRUCTION AND HAS FLOWN MANY TIMES WITH HER HUSBAND. MR. XX THEN SAID I WAS IN VIOLATION OF THE REGS BECAUSE HE WAS AN FAA INSPECTOR AND WHAT HE SAW WAS ALL THAT MATTERS. I DID NOT AT ANY TIME BREAK ANY REG PERTAINING TO LOW FLT. I DID NOT FEEL THAT ANYTHING WAS OUT OF THE ORDINARY ON THIS LESSON, OR ANY OF THE APCH TO LNDGS. I DID NOT FLY ACROSS THE CITY AT 200-300' AGL DOING 180 DEG TURNS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES HE RECEIVED LETTER FROM FAA RE: INCIDENT. HE AND STUDENT HAVE BOTH WRITTEN LETTERS TO FAA MGR RE: BEHAVIOR OF FAA REPRESENTATIVE. BOTH VEHEMENTLY DENY ALLEGED LOW FLT OR TURNS. TOO BUSY DOING TRNING.

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