Low flight above terrain resulting in ground personnel injury from rotor downwash.

Attributes
ACN	315253
Time
Date	199509
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dpa
State Reference	IL
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dpa
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 171 flight time total : 903 flight time type : 853
ASRS Report	315253
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During photo flight at kane county flea market, aircraft was hovering at approximately 200 ft AGL above a tree line and field used for parking. The photographer requested that I begin to circle the fairgrounds as I had done before hovering. As I transitioned to forward flight, I began a cyclic turn to the right. This flight path took me over a corner of the flea market were vendors had set up their displays. When I noticed flying over the vendor area, I banked right away from the vendors' displays. I overflew the vendors at approximately 200 ft AGL for approximately 3 to 5 seconds. The rotor wash was blamed for damage to vendor merchandise and one injury. A vendor had been struck on the head when her tent pole became dislodged. She was taken to a nearby hospital to be seen by a doctor. I believe a contributing factor was the vendor area itself. The vendors' cars, trucks, trailers, and vans were used as part of their display. It was not until we were directly overhead that we realized that this was a display area, and not a parking area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW FLT ABOVE TERRAIN RESULTING IN GND PERSONNEL INJURY FROM ROTOR DOWNWASH.

Narrative: DURING PHOTO FLT AT KANE COUNTY FLEA MARKET, ACFT WAS HOVERING AT APPROX 200 FT AGL ABOVE A TREE LINE AND FIELD USED FOR PARKING. THE PHOTOGRAPHER REQUESTED THAT I BEGIN TO CIRCLE THE FAIRGROUNDS AS I HAD DONE BEFORE HOVERING. AS I TRANSITIONED TO FORWARD FLT, I BEGAN A CYCLIC TURN TO THE R. THIS FLT PATH TOOK ME OVER A CORNER OF THE FLEA MARKET WERE VENDORS HAD SET UP THEIR DISPLAYS. WHEN I NOTICED FLYING OVER THE VENDOR AREA, I BANKED R AWAY FROM THE VENDORS' DISPLAYS. I OVERFLEW THE VENDORS AT APPROX 200 FT AGL FOR APPROX 3 TO 5 SECONDS. THE ROTOR WASH WAS BLAMED FOR DAMAGE TO VENDOR MERCHANDISE AND ONE INJURY. A VENDOR HAD BEEN STRUCK ON THE HEAD WHEN HER TENT POLE BECAME DISLODGED. SHE WAS TAKEN TO A NEARBY HOSPITAL TO BE SEEN BY A DOCTOR. I BELIEVE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE VENDOR AREA ITSELF. THE VENDORS' CARS, TRUCKS, TRAILERS, AND VANS WERE USED AS PART OF THEIR DISPLAY. IT WAS NOT UNTIL WE WERE DIRECTLY OVERHEAD THAT WE REALIZED THAT THIS WAS A DISPLAY AREA, AND NOT A PARKING 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.