Narrative:

This was my first night photo flight. Prior to the flight, I reviewed the local area on my sectional chart for obstruction information that may be of concern. When our client informed me of the proposed area of flight, I felt that I knew the area well enough and proceeded on with the flight. I mentally calculated the AGL ht of the area to be 700 ft AGL. This would make my base altitude during the photo passes at 1700 ft MSL. I requested, from burmingham clearance, a VFR altitude of 2500 ft and below for a photo flight in the liberty park and highway 459 area. I again mentally calculated my lowest safe altitude to be 1700 ft MSL. I further used a nearby ridge line as a visual reference for altitude deviation control. If I got even or below this ridge, then I would be too low. This ridge is approximately 900 ft MSL. During the photo passes, I used the aircraft's altimeter, which had the correct barometric setting at the time, and the above mentioned ridge line for altitude control. During 2 of the 8 photo passes, I was trying to position the aircraft directly over a specific site in a crab attitude for a desired photo shot. During this maneuver, I was not paying attention to my altitude by reference to the altimeter, but by reference to the far ridge line. I was more concerned in aircraft airspeed and position over the site than altitude. When I realized that I had not crosschecked my altitude, I looked at my altimeter and saw that I was at 1500 ft MSL. That would place the aircraft at 800 ft AGL and that is a deviation of 200 ft of the 1000 ft AGL rule over congested areas. I immediately climbed back up to 2000 ft MSL to allow a cushion between and during the photo passes. Contributing factors: I flew this flight after working with my other job, which started at XA00. I did get 2 hours of sleep prior to the flight, however, I did feel fatigue. I also was planning on eating after the flight, therefore, this added to my fatigue. Because of the above factor, I was in a hurry to complete the short flight. By using 1500 ft AGL for a nighttime minimum altitudes over congested areas can be a better safety value due to the lack of visual clues. Also, before each flight, insure that adequate rest is received, fatigue does effect performance more so than many believe.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW ALT CIVIL OP IN VIOLATION OF FARS. CFIT.

Narrative: THIS WAS MY FIRST NIGHT PHOTO FLT. PRIOR TO THE FLT, I REVIEWED THE LCL AREA ON MY SECTIONAL CHART FOR OBSTRUCTION INFO THAT MAY BE OF CONCERN. WHEN OUR CLIENT INFORMED ME OF THE PROPOSED AREA OF FLT, I FELT THAT I KNEW THE AREA WELL ENOUGH AND PROCEEDED ON WITH THE FLT. I MENTALLY CALCULATED THE AGL HT OF THE AREA TO BE 700 FT AGL. THIS WOULD MAKE MY BASE ALT DURING THE PHOTO PASSES AT 1700 FT MSL. I REQUESTED, FROM BURMINGHAM CLRNC, A VFR ALT OF 2500 FT AND BELOW FOR A PHOTO FLT IN THE LIBERTY PARK AND HWY 459 AREA. I AGAIN MENTALLY CALCULATED MY LOWEST SAFE ALT TO BE 1700 FT MSL. I FURTHER USED A NEARBY RIDGE LINE AS A VISUAL REF FOR ALTDEV CTL. IF I GOT EVEN OR BELOW THIS RIDGE, THEN I WOULD BE TOO LOW. THIS RIDGE IS APPROX 900 FT MSL. DURING THE PHOTO PASSES, I USED THE ACFT'S ALTIMETER, WHICH HAD THE CORRECT BAROMETRIC SETTING AT THE TIME, AND THE ABOVE MENTIONED RIDGE LINE FOR ALT CTL. DURING 2 OF THE 8 PHOTO PASSES, I WAS TRYING TO POS THE ACFT DIRECTLY OVER A SPECIFIC SITE IN A CRAB ATTITUDE FOR A DESIRED PHOTO SHOT. DURING THIS MANEUVER, I WAS NOT PAYING ATTN TO MY ALT BY REF TO THE ALTIMETER, BUT BY REF TO THE FAR RIDGE LINE. I WAS MORE CONCERNED IN ACFT AIRSPD AND POS OVER THE SITE THAN ALT. WHEN I REALIZED THAT I HAD NOT XCHKED MY ALT, I LOOKED AT MY ALTIMETER AND SAW THAT I WAS AT 1500 FT MSL. THAT WOULD PLACE THE ACFT AT 800 FT AGL AND THAT IS A DEV OF 200 FT OF THE 1000 FT AGL RULE OVER CONGESTED AREAS. I IMMEDIATELY CLBED BACK UP TO 2000 FT MSL TO ALLOW A CUSHION BTWN AND DURING THE PHOTO PASSES. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I FLEW THIS FLT AFTER WORKING WITH MY OTHER JOB, WHICH STARTED AT XA00. I DID GET 2 HRS OF SLEEP PRIOR TO THE FLT, HOWEVER, I DID FEEL FATIGUE. I ALSO WAS PLANNING ON EATING AFTER THE FLT, THEREFORE, THIS ADDED TO MY FATIGUE. BECAUSE OF THE ABOVE FACTOR, I WAS IN A HURRY TO COMPLETE THE SHORT FLT. BY USING 1500 FT AGL FOR A NIGHTTIME MINIMUM ALTS OVER CONGESTED AREAS CAN BE A BETTER SAFETY VALUE DUE TO THE LACK OF VISUAL CLUES. ALSO, BEFORE EACH FLT, INSURE THAT ADEQUATE REST IS RECEIVED, FATIGUE DOES EFFECT PERFORMANCE MORE SO THAN MANY BELIEVE.

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.