Narrative:

In 1/90 I was dispatched to the palacios area to spray herbicide on cropland. At the palacios strip, I met with the farmer to discuss the fields I wa about to spray. He produced an aerial map of the fields. I had 5 fields to spray. The 2 fields in question border highway 35 and are approximately 1/4 mi apart. In one of the fields there is an electrical line running parallel to highway 35 about 300' north of the roadway. There is a light-colored 2-STORY house situated south of highway 35 between the 2 fields. I asked if we had any problems with anyone in the houses across the highway and he replied 'no.' with that, I started flying the field perpendicular to highway 35. I would stop spraying, even with the electrical line running through the field and an imaginary extension of that line then ascend and turn for the return pass. This left a 300' strip of field parallel to the highway unsprayed. As traffic would permit, I would fly a spray pass parallel to the highway to cover this 300' area. On my second to the last pass on the first field, I noticed a man standing in the yard next to the house described above, pointing and waving a gun at my airplane. I flew my last pass to finish this field, then proceeded to the next field 1/4 mi away. By the time I had completed spraying half the second field, I saw the man from the house drive to the north end of the field where farmer was flagging my aerial passes. The man who had earlier pointed the gun at me parked and walked to farmers pickup. The 2 engaged in conversation and he remained with farmer until the spraying of this field was finished. With this field completed, I returned to the airstrip. Later that day I was able to make contact with farmer. He told me that the man was upset and didn't want any airplanes anywhere close to his house. He threatened to shoot holes in the aircraft's tail section. I suggested to the farmers that in the future, we might contact this man and discuss acceptable flight pattern with him in an effort to resolve the dilemma. I asked if it would help if I would call and talk to him. He assured me that he had it worked out.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FARMER'S NEIGHBOR THREATENS SHOTS AT AG ACFT SPRAYING FIELDS WITH HERBICIDES.

Narrative: IN 1/90 I WAS DISPATCHED TO THE PALACIOS AREA TO SPRAY HERBICIDE ON CROPLAND. AT THE PALACIOS STRIP, I MET WITH THE FARMER TO DISCUSS THE FIELDS I WA ABOUT TO SPRAY. HE PRODUCED AN AERIAL MAP OF THE FIELDS. I HAD 5 FIELDS TO SPRAY. THE 2 FIELDS IN QUESTION BORDER HWY 35 AND ARE APPROX 1/4 MI APART. IN ONE OF THE FIELDS THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL LINE RUNNING PARALLEL TO HWY 35 ABOUT 300' N OF THE ROADWAY. THERE IS A LIGHT-COLORED 2-STORY HOUSE SITUATED S OF HWY 35 BTWN THE 2 FIELDS. I ASKED IF WE HAD ANY PROBS WITH ANYONE IN THE HOUSES ACROSS THE HWY AND HE REPLIED 'NO.' WITH THAT, I STARTED FLYING THE FIELD PERPENDICULAR TO HWY 35. I WOULD STOP SPRAYING, EVEN WITH THE ELECTRICAL LINE RUNNING THROUGH THE FIELD AND AN IMAGINARY EXTENSION OF THAT LINE THEN ASCEND AND TURN FOR THE RETURN PASS. THIS LEFT A 300' STRIP OF FIELD PARALLEL TO THE HWY UNSPRAYED. AS TFC WOULD PERMIT, I WOULD FLY A SPRAY PASS PARALLEL TO THE HWY TO COVER THIS 300' AREA. ON MY SECOND TO THE LAST PASS ON THE FIRST FIELD, I NOTICED A MAN STANDING IN THE YARD NEXT TO THE HOUSE DESCRIBED ABOVE, POINTING AND WAVING A GUN AT MY AIRPLANE. I FLEW MY LAST PASS TO FINISH THIS FIELD, THEN PROCEEDED TO THE NEXT FIELD 1/4 MI AWAY. BY THE TIME I HAD COMPLETED SPRAYING HALF THE SECOND FIELD, I SAW THE MAN FROM THE HOUSE DRIVE TO THE N END OF THE FIELD WHERE FARMER WAS FLAGGING MY AERIAL PASSES. THE MAN WHO HAD EARLIER POINTED THE GUN AT ME PARKED AND WALKED TO FARMERS PICKUP. THE 2 ENGAGED IN CONVERSATION AND HE REMAINED WITH FARMER UNTIL THE SPRAYING OF THIS FIELD WAS FINISHED. WITH THIS FIELD COMPLETED, I RETURNED TO THE AIRSTRIP. LATER THAT DAY I WAS ABLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH FARMER. HE TOLD ME THAT THE MAN WAS UPSET AND DIDN'T WANT ANY AIRPLANES ANYWHERE CLOSE TO HIS HOUSE. HE THREATENED TO SHOOT HOLES IN THE ACFT'S TAIL SECTION. I SUGGESTED TO THE FARMERS THAT IN THE FUTURE, WE MIGHT CONTACT THIS MAN AND DISCUSS ACCEPTABLE FLT PATTERN WITH HIM IN AN EFFORT TO RESOLVE THE DILEMMA. I ASKED IF IT WOULD HELP IF I WOULD CALL AND TALK TO HIM. HE ASSURED ME THAT HE HAD IT WORKED OUT.

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.