Narrative:

On oct/sun/96 I departed king cove airport in a PA31-350. I had just finished dropping off passenger from a part 135 charter flight and was returning to cold bay part 91. I have flown into the king cove airport many times but have never seen the town of king cove because it sits on the other side of a hill about 7 mi from the airport. I departed runway 7 and made a right downwind departure. When I had enough altitude I turned toward town and went over the hill at 100 ft AGL. I flew over the town at 1000 ft AGL, did a 180 degree turn, and headed back toward the hill. About three quarters of the way to the hill, a ridge comes off a mountain and the road to the airport goes around and behind the ridge. Halfway between the town and the ridge I saw a car going toward town and thought that was the last of the cars coming from the airport. I descended to approximately 100 ft AGL and followed the road. Since this was a part 91 flight in an uncongested sparsely populated area, according to far part 91.119 I was legal to fly at an altitude less than 500 ft AGL. I could not see on the other side of the ridge and when I flew around it I met head to head with 2 other cars. I flew over them at less than 500 ft AGL. I did not know the cars were on the other side of the ridge because it was blocking my view. Had I known they were there, I would have stayed at least 500 ft above them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PIPER PA31-350 FLEW BELOW THE MSA OVER A ROAD WITH CAR TFC DURING A SIGHT-SEEING FLT WHILE RETURNING TO HOME BASE AFTER AN ATX PAX DROPOFF.

Narrative: ON OCT/SUN/96 I DEPARTED KING COVE ARPT IN A PA31-350. I HAD JUST FINISHED DROPPING OFF PAX FROM A PART 135 CHARTER FLT AND WAS RETURNING TO COLD BAY PART 91. I HAVE FLOWN INTO THE KING COVE ARPT MANY TIMES BUT HAVE NEVER SEEN THE TOWN OF KING COVE BECAUSE IT SITS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A HILL ABOUT 7 MI FROM THE ARPT. I DEPARTED RWY 7 AND MADE A R DOWNWIND DEP. WHEN I HAD ENOUGH ALT I TURNED TOWARD TOWN AND WENT OVER THE HILL AT 100 FT AGL. I FLEW OVER THE TOWN AT 1000 FT AGL, DID A 180 DEG TURN, AND HEADED BACK TOWARD THE HILL. ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY TO THE HILL, A RIDGE COMES OFF A MOUNTAIN AND THE ROAD TO THE ARPT GOES AROUND AND BEHIND THE RIDGE. HALFWAY BTWN THE TOWN AND THE RIDGE I SAW A CAR GOING TOWARD TOWN AND THOUGHT THAT WAS THE LAST OF THE CARS COMING FROM THE ARPT. I DSNDED TO APPROX 100 FT AGL AND FOLLOWED THE ROAD. SINCE THIS WAS A PART 91 FLT IN AN UNCONGESTED SPARSELY POPULATED AREA, ACCORDING TO FAR PART 91.119 I WAS LEGAL TO FLY AT AN ALT LESS THAN 500 FT AGL. I COULD NOT SEE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIDGE AND WHEN I FLEW AROUND IT I MET HEAD TO HEAD WITH 2 OTHER CARS. I FLEW OVER THEM AT LESS THAN 500 FT AGL. I DID NOT KNOW THE CARS WERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIDGE BECAUSE IT WAS BLOCKING MY VIEW. HAD I KNOWN THEY WERE THERE, I WOULD HAVE STAYED AT LEAST 500 FT ABOVE THEM.

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.