Low time pilot flies small aircraft over populated area below minimum safe altitude on photo mission...

Attributes
ACN	149151
Time
Date	199006
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cva
State Reference	IA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 800 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mli
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 310 flight time type : 4
ASRS Report	149151
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The problem of a minimum safe altitude over a city occurred while being the pilot of a photo flight in a relatively unfamiliar aircraft. The problem began when flying from an airport that likes just outside an arsa, I flew into the airspace underlying the lower limits of the arsa (over a city at this time) and advised approach control that I would be doing aerial photography at 1500' MSL (800' AGL). Following this, we flew at 800' AGL over the city until I noticed the violation of MSA over a populated area. At this point I climbed to the correct altitude and finished the photo session. The main factor contributing to this chain of events deals with the fact that the pilot is a low time commercial pilot doing a photo flight in a relatively unfamiliar aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME PLT FLIES SMA OVER POPULATED AREA BELOW MINIMUM SAFE ALT ON PHOTO MISSION.

Narrative: THE PROB OF A MINIMUM SAFE ALT OVER A CITY OCCURRED WHILE BEING THE PLT OF A PHOTO FLT IN A RELATIVELY UNFAMILIAR ACFT. THE PROB BEGAN WHEN FLYING FROM AN ARPT THAT LIKES JUST OUTSIDE AN ARSA, I FLEW INTO THE AIRSPACE UNDERLYING THE LOWER LIMITS OF THE ARSA (OVER A CITY AT THIS TIME) AND ADVISED APCH CTL THAT I WOULD BE DOING AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY AT 1500' MSL (800' AGL). FOLLOWING THIS, WE FLEW AT 800' AGL OVER THE CITY UNTIL I NOTICED THE VIOLATION OF MSA OVER A POPULATED AREA. AT THIS POINT I CLBED TO THE CORRECT ALT AND FINISHED THE PHOTO SESSION. THE MAIN FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO THIS CHAIN OF EVENTS DEALS WITH THE FACT THAT THE PLT IS A LOW TIME COMMERCIAL PLT DOING A PHOTO FLT IN A RELATIVELY UNFAMILIAR ACFT.

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.