Narrative:

On 9/fri-sun/90, I was attending a seaplane fly-in at clear lake, ca in my aircraft, an aircraft on floats. The sight of the fly-in was directly in front of the skylark motel located on the lake shore. On 9/sat/90, there was a major aircraft accident (not a seaplane or part of the fly-in) in the lake approximately 1 mi northeast of the fly-in site. By 9/sun/90, a barge and crane had been moved to the crash site. On 9/sun/90 morning, I departed the fly-in area for a pleasure flight around the lake. The WX was cavu, the winds light and variable. Upon returning to the fly-in site, I entered a left-hand traffic pattern for landing at the motel area. My downwind took me approximately 1/2 mi from the crash site. I made a left base while descending and then turned left on final. At this point my final approach path was directly over the crash site at approximately 500' AGL. Approximately 1-1 1/2 hours after landing I was speaking with an official of the fly-in who informed me that an FAA investigator had just left and that the purpose of his (FAA investigator) visit to the fly-in was to warn members of the fly-in not to fly over the crash site because it was now a restr area and that he was going to begin taking n-#'south, but had not yet done so. I believe that I made a mistake in choosing a traffic pattern that took me over and near to the crash site and that I should have elected to land in such a fashion so as to not fly over or near the crash site. I have since reviewed the regulations relating to special use airspace and I am now thoroughly familiar with them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA INADVERTENTLY FLIES OVER ACCIDENT SITE FOR APCH AND LNDG, NOT REALIZING IT HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS A RESTRICTED AREA.

Narrative: ON 9/FRI-SUN/90, I WAS ATTENDING A SEAPLANE FLY-IN AT CLEAR LAKE, CA IN MY ACFT, AN ACFT ON FLOATS. THE SIGHT OF THE FLY-IN WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE SKYLARK MOTEL LOCATED ON THE LAKE SHORE. ON 9/SAT/90, THERE WAS A MAJOR ACFT ACCIDENT (NOT A SEAPLANE OR PART OF THE FLY-IN) IN THE LAKE APPROX 1 MI NE OF THE FLY-IN SITE. BY 9/SUN/90, A BARGE AND CRANE HAD BEEN MOVED TO THE CRASH SITE. ON 9/SUN/90 MORNING, I DEPARTED THE FLY-IN AREA FOR A PLEASURE FLT AROUND THE LAKE. THE WX WAS CAVU, THE WINDS LIGHT AND VARIABLE. UPON RETURNING TO THE FLY-IN SITE, I ENTERED A LEFT-HAND TFC PATTERN FOR LNDG AT THE MOTEL AREA. MY DOWNWIND TOOK ME APPROX 1/2 MI FROM THE CRASH SITE. I MADE A LEFT BASE WHILE DSNDING AND THEN TURNED LEFT ON FINAL. AT THIS POINT MY FINAL APCH PATH WAS DIRECTLY OVER THE CRASH SITE AT APPROX 500' AGL. APPROX 1-1 1/2 HRS AFTER LNDG I WAS SPEAKING WITH AN OFFICIAL OF THE FLY-IN WHO INFORMED ME THAT AN FAA INVESTIGATOR HAD JUST LEFT AND THAT THE PURPOSE OF HIS (FAA INVESTIGATOR) VISIT TO THE FLY-IN WAS TO WARN MEMBERS OF THE FLY-IN NOT TO FLY OVER THE CRASH SITE BECAUSE IT WAS NOW A RESTR AREA AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO BEGIN TAKING N-#'S, BUT HAD NOT YET DONE SO. I BELIEVE THAT I MADE A MISTAKE IN CHOOSING A TFC PATTERN THAT TOOK ME OVER AND NEAR TO THE CRASH SITE AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE ELECTED TO LAND IN SUCH A FASHION SO AS TO NOT FLY OVER OR NEAR THE CRASH SITE. I HAVE SINCE REVIEWED THE REGS RELATING TO SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE AND I AM NOW THOROUGHLY FAMILIAR WITH THEM.

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.