Descent below 2000 ft AGL over national seashore area.

Attributes
ACN	303906
Time
Date	199505
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ssi
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 2300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 16 flight time total : 609 flight time type : 358
ASRS Report	303906
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While on a sight-seeing flight over the georgia barrier islands, I inadvertently flew too low over the cumberland island national seashore. I flew over at approximately 1500 ft AGL instead of 2000 ft AGL or greater. My flight path penetrated the area by only 1 or 2 mi. I was executing a 180 degree turn from south to north and flew over the northernmost mi of this island. I was preoccupied with looking for traffic, as this area around ssi VOR, jeckyll island and st. Simons island, is an extremely busy sector of airspace. I allowed my altitude to drop to 1500 ft AGL. What's funny is, prior to cumberland island, as I flew south along the coast past st. Simons island, I was maintaining about 2300 ft AGL. It was only as I approached the VOR, and then made the turn over cumberland island, that I diverted attention from the gauges to devote even more attention to looking for traffic, and allowed the aircraft to drop several hundred ft. I should have maintained altitude awareness even as I devoted more attention to my traffic scan.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DSCNT BELOW 2000 FT AGL OVER NATIONAL SEASHORE AREA.

Narrative: WHILE ON A SIGHT-SEEING FLT OVER THE GEORGIA BARRIER ISLANDS, I INADVERTENTLY FLEW TOO LOW OVER THE CUMBERLAND ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE. I FLEW OVER AT APPROX 1500 FT AGL INSTEAD OF 2000 FT AGL OR GREATER. MY FLT PATH PENETRATED THE AREA BY ONLY 1 OR 2 MI. I WAS EXECUTING A 180 DEG TURN FROM S TO N AND FLEW OVER THE NORTHERNMOST MI OF THIS ISLAND. I WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH LOOKING FOR TFC, AS THIS AREA AROUND SSI VOR, JECKYLL ISLAND AND ST. SIMONS ISLAND, IS AN EXTREMELY BUSY SECTOR OF AIRSPACE. I ALLOWED MY ALT TO DROP TO 1500 FT AGL. WHAT'S FUNNY IS, PRIOR TO CUMBERLAND ISLAND, AS I FLEW S ALONG THE COAST PAST ST. SIMONS ISLAND, I WAS MAINTAINING ABOUT 2300 FT AGL. IT WAS ONLY AS I APCHED THE VOR, AND THEN MADE THE TURN OVER CUMBERLAND ISLAND, THAT I DIVERTED ATTN FROM THE GAUGES TO DEVOTE EVEN MORE ATTN TO LOOKING FOR TFC, AND ALLOWED THE ACFT TO DROP SEVERAL HUNDRED FT. I SHOULD HAVE MAINTAINED ALT AWARENESS EVEN AS I DEVOTED MORE ATTN TO MY TFC SCAN.

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.