Narrative:

I passed over the very southwest corner of hays, ks, at 500 ft; to look at my friends house. I passed over his house twice more while doing touch and goes. When I returned to the airport, there were 3 police cars waiting for me. They said I was flying at too low of an altitude. The police took down the information on my pilots' license and told me that an FAA inspector would be in touch with me soon. The problem I have with this is that I believe I was at a proper altitude. I was 500 ft above an area I considered uncongested. I also had fields all around me that would allow me to make a safe landing in case of a power failure. I received my pilot's license in tulsa, ok, on 8/92. I now attend college in hays, ks, where this event took place. Hay is a western kansas farm town very small compared to tulsa. I assumed that the portion of town that I was flying over would be considered uncongested. I would greatly appreciate any information on airspace that could help me determine the difference between congested and uncongested airspace. Furthermore, as this is my first encounter with an FAA inspector I am not sure what actions to take next. Any advice you could give me would be very helpful. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states FAA called about 2 weeks after incident. He told them his story. Police report he declares is false as they claim he was dipping down below tree level. In later communication FAA informed him report sent to legal. Father is FBO in tulsa and came to see where reporter was flying. Gave him a good lecture on proper flight and especially low altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA DOES LOW ALT FLT OVER FRIEND'S HOUSE. LCL LAW ENFORCEMENT WAITING ON RETURN TO ARPT.

Narrative: I PASSED OVER THE VERY SW CORNER OF HAYS, KS, AT 500 FT; TO LOOK AT MY FRIENDS HOUSE. I PASSED OVER HIS HOUSE TWICE MORE WHILE DOING TOUCH AND GOES. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE ARPT, THERE WERE 3 POLICE CARS WAITING FOR ME. THEY SAID I WAS FLYING AT TOO LOW OF AN ALT. THE POLICE TOOK DOWN THE INFO ON MY PLTS' LICENSE AND TOLD ME THAT AN FAA INSPECTOR WOULD BE IN TOUCH WITH ME SOON. THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THIS IS THAT I BELIEVE I WAS AT A PROPER ALT. I WAS 500 FT ABOVE AN AREA I CONSIDERED UNCONGESTED. I ALSO HAD FIELDS ALL AROUND ME THAT WOULD ALLOW ME TO MAKE A SAFE LNDG IN CASE OF A PWR FAILURE. I RECEIVED MY PLT'S LICENSE IN TULSA, OK, ON 8/92. I NOW ATTEND COLLEGE IN HAYS, KS, WHERE THIS EVENT TOOK PLACE. HAY IS A WESTERN KANSAS FARM TOWN VERY SMALL COMPARED TO TULSA. I ASSUMED THAT THE PORTION OF TOWN THAT I WAS FLYING OVER WOULD BE CONSIDERED UNCONGESTED. I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE ANY INFO ON AIRSPACE THAT COULD HELP ME DETERMINE THE DIFFERENCE BTWN CONGESTED AND UNCONGESTED AIRSPACE. FURTHERMORE, AS THIS IS MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH AN FAA INSPECTOR I AM NOT SURE WHAT ACTIONS TO TAKE NEXT. ANY ADVICE YOU COULD GIVE ME WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES FAA CALLED ABOUT 2 WKS AFTER INCIDENT. HE TOLD THEM HIS STORY. POLICE RPT HE DECLARES IS FALSE AS THEY CLAIM HE WAS DIPPING DOWN BELOW TREE LEVEL. IN LATER COM FAA INFORMED HIM RPT SENT TO LEGAL. FATHER IS FBO IN TULSA AND CAME TO SEE WHERE RPTR WAS FLYING. GAVE HIM A GOOD LECTURE ON PROPER FLT AND ESPECIALLY LOW ALT.

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.