Small aircraft on photo mission over crash site descends below required altitude.

Attributes
ACN	246246
Time
Date	199307
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : asn
State Reference	AL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bos
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 1400 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	246246
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was asked by the local newspaper to fly their photographer around the crash site at the talladega motor spdway. Upon arrival, I entered a circling pattern around the site. A helicopter was already presently taking photos so I came in behind him. I made approximately 4 laps, left the area and picked up another photographer. This time a second helicopter arrived from the east and came in at a lower altitude below me. We were all talking to each other and knew each other's location and altitude. I found out later that they were to leave the area. I was never asked to leave until my mistake. Upon talking to the FAA inspector by telephone he told me that he and witnesses saw me and then he scolded that regulations don't allow people flying over the crash site. This is true if there was a NOTAM filed. There was no NOTAM published. If there had a NOTAM I wouldn't have been in the area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON PHOTO MISSION OVER CRASH SITE DSNDS BELOW REQUIRED ALT.

Narrative: I WAS ASKED BY THE LCL NEWSPAPER TO FLY THEIR PHOTOGRAPHER AROUND THE CRASH SITE AT THE TALLADEGA MOTOR SPDWAY. UPON ARR, I ENTERED A CIRCLING PATTERN AROUND THE SITE. A HELI WAS ALREADY PRESENTLY TAKING PHOTOS SO I CAME IN BEHIND HIM. I MADE APPROX 4 LAPS, LEFT THE AREA AND PICKED UP ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPHER. THIS TIME A SECOND HELI ARRIVED FROM THE E AND CAME IN AT A LOWER ALT BELOW ME. WE WERE ALL TALKING TO EACH OTHER AND KNEW EACH OTHER'S LOCATION AND ALT. I FOUND OUT LATER THAT THEY WERE TO LEAVE THE AREA. I WAS NEVER ASKED TO LEAVE UNTIL MY MISTAKE. UPON TALKING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR BY TELEPHONE HE TOLD ME THAT HE AND WITNESSES SAW ME AND THEN HE SCOLDED THAT REGS DON'T ALLOW PEOPLE FLYING OVER THE CRASH SITE. THIS IS TRUE IF THERE WAS A NOTAM FILED. THERE WAS NO NOTAM PUBLISHED. IF THERE HAD A NOTAM I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN IN THE 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.