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Low altitude civil operation occurs over reporter's new house in evasive action descent to avoid unknown VFR NORAC traffic.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 242832 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199305 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bwi |
| State Reference | MD |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 800 msl bound upper : 1300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : bwi |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other cruise other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 1200 |
| ASRS Report | 242832 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 3000 vertical : 500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While circling over my new house in arnold, md, bwi approach control told me of another aircraft at my altitude. I could not visually find this aircraft. When approach radioed that the distance had decreased to 1/2 mi, I decided to descend so as to provide vertical separation. For a few seconds I was below 1000 ft AGL over a 'populated area.' I did not realize this area was heavily populated until after the event, when I noticed that the TCA chart was bright yellow over the area where I descended. I had thought I was over a sparsely populated area. There was no obvious collision hazard or evasive maneuvers. I promptly returned to 1300 ft AGL once clear of traffic. Depending on how sparsely and heavily areas are defined, I may have accidentally been below the minimum safe altitude as defined in far 91.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: LOW ALT CIVIL OP OCCURS OVER RPTR'S NEW HOUSE IN EVASIVE ACTION DSCNT TO AVOID UNKNOWN VFR NORAC TFC.
Narrative: WHILE CIRCLING OVER MY NEW HOUSE IN ARNOLD, MD, BWI APCH CTL TOLD ME OF ANOTHER ACFT AT MY ALT. I COULD NOT VISUALLY FIND THIS ACFT. WHEN APCH RADIOED THAT THE DISTANCE HAD DECREASED TO 1/2 MI, I DECIDED TO DSND SO AS TO PROVIDE VERT SEPARATION. FOR A FEW SECONDS I WAS BELOW 1000 FT AGL OVER A 'POPULATED AREA.' I DID NOT REALIZE THIS AREA WAS HEAVILY POPULATED UNTIL AFTER THE EVENT, WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE TCA CHART WAS BRIGHT YELLOW OVER THE AREA WHERE I DSNDED. I HAD THOUGHT I WAS OVER A SPARSELY POPULATED AREA. THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS COLLISION HAZARD OR EVASIVE MANEUVERS. I PROMPTLY RETURNED TO 1300 FT AGL ONCE CLR OF TFC. DEPENDING ON HOW SPARSELY AND HEAVILY AREAS ARE DEFINED, I MAY HAVE ACCIDENTALLY BEEN BELOW THE MINIMUM SAFE ALT AS DEFINED IN FAR 91.
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.