Small aircraft pilot on photo mission flies below far prescribed altitude.

Attributes
ACN	216088
Time
Date	199207
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lou
State Reference	KY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lou
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 2450 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	216088
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was flying over 100 acres of property owned by a local church taking photographs when I may have inadvertently flown below the min safe altitude. I was trying to maintain the utmost of safety while taking the pictures as I had advised the local control tower of my intentions and had my transponder with mode C turned on. Any flight below the MSA was accidental and the result of my efforts to both control the airplane safely and remain over the target area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ON PHOTO MISSION FLIES BELOW FAR PRESCRIBED ALT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING OVER 100 ACRES OF PROPERTY OWNED BY A LCL CHURCH TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS WHEN I MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY FLOWN BELOW THE MIN SAFE ALT. I WAS TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE UTMOST OF SAFETY WHILE TAKING THE PICTURES AS I HAD ADVISED THE LCL CTL TWR OF MY INTENTIONS AND HAD MY TRANSPONDER WITH MODE C TURNED ON. ANY FLT BELOW THE MSA WAS ACCIDENTAL AND THE RESULT OF MY EFFORTS TO BOTH CTL THE AIRPLANE SAFELY AND REMAIN OVER THE TARGET AREA.

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.