Narrative:

Flying winter waterfowl surveys. Survey boss insists on flying into estuaries and then pulling up over the houses at the end, making a course reversal and coming back down. He insists that the database is set up that way, and that if any changes are made in the flight patterns, it will foul up the survey. We operate with a 200 ft waiver, with 500 ft required over houses. This can be accomplished with planning, but sometimes the houses are hidden in trees and the climb out in tight canyons may not allow a safe landing straight ahead, and some areas are now too congested -- even though these rtes have been flown for yrs. I feel that turning up these estuaries is a compromise to safety and put the survey boss on notice that I would not do it any more. He was very huffy and insistent, but as PIC, I will refuse based on the safety issue, and face the consequences with my employer. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he has taken this matter up not only within his agency but also the local FAA FSDO. As a result new routing has been established for the future which will eliminate the need to fly over and turn around at the end of estuaries where possible low flts over houses could occur. A meeting was held within the government agency, which brought this matter to the attention of all program mgrs, which concluded that the rtes needed to be made safe to fly but also within any safety regulation rules (FARS.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A DEHAVILLAND BEAVER, DHC2 FLOAT PLANE, OPERATING UNDER A WAIVER FOR A GOV WATERFOWL SURVEY, INADVERTENTLY FLEW BELOW THE MSA FOR OVER SPARSELY POPULATED AREAS OVER AND NEAR HOUSES. THE RPTR ADVISED HIS SUPVR THAT THE ORIGINAL RTE FLOWN WOULD HAVE TO BE MODIFIED IN THE FUTURE DUE TO A BUILDUP OF RESIDENCES AT THE END OF ESTUARIES WHICH HAVE CAUSED OVERFLTS OF HOUSES BELOW SAFE MINIMUMS.

Narrative: FLYING WINTER WATERFOWL SURVEYS. SURVEY BOSS INSISTS ON FLYING INTO ESTUARIES AND THEN PULLING UP OVER THE HOUSES AT THE END, MAKING A COURSE REVERSAL AND COMING BACK DOWN. HE INSISTS THAT THE DATABASE IS SET UP THAT WAY, AND THAT IF ANY CHANGES ARE MADE IN THE FLT PATTERNS, IT WILL FOUL UP THE SURVEY. WE OPERATE WITH A 200 FT WAIVER, WITH 500 FT REQUIRED OVER HOUSES. THIS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH PLANNING, BUT SOMETIMES THE HOUSES ARE HIDDEN IN TREES AND THE CLB OUT IN TIGHT CANYONS MAY NOT ALLOW A SAFE LNDG STRAIGHT AHEAD, AND SOME AREAS ARE NOW TOO CONGESTED -- EVEN THOUGH THESE RTES HAVE BEEN FLOWN FOR YRS. I FEEL THAT TURNING UP THESE ESTUARIES IS A COMPROMISE TO SAFETY AND PUT THE SURVEY BOSS ON NOTICE THAT I WOULD NOT DO IT ANY MORE. HE WAS VERY HUFFY AND INSISTENT, BUT AS PIC, I WILL REFUSE BASED ON THE SAFETY ISSUE, AND FACE THE CONSEQUENCES WITH MY EMPLOYER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAS TAKEN THIS MATTER UP NOT ONLY WITHIN HIS AGENCY BUT ALSO THE LOCAL FAA FSDO. AS A RESULT NEW ROUTING HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR THE FUTURE WHICH WILL ELIMINATE THE NEED TO FLY OVER AND TURN AROUND AT THE END OF ESTUARIES WHERE POSSIBLE LOW FLTS OVER HOUSES COULD OCCUR. A MEETING WAS HELD WITHIN THE GOV AGENCY, WHICH BROUGHT THIS MATTER TO THE ATTN OF ALL PROGRAM MGRS, WHICH CONCLUDED THAT THE RTES NEEDED TO BE MADE SAFE TO FLY BUT ALSO WITHIN ANY SAFETY REG RULES (FARS.)

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.