A C152 pilot admits that he flew low on photo runs.

Attributes
ACN	355737
Time
Date	199612
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pdk
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 300 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 152
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	355737
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was taking aerial photographs in gusty wind conditions at 500 ft AGL. Winds were out of the west. On several occasions, the aircraft drifted below 500 ft. I corrected as soon as I noticed the deviation. On one particular occasion, after turning from wbound to eastbound for my photo run, I was hit with a tailwind gust. Since I was flying slow, the aircraft lost 200 ft of altitude before I could get enough speed to climb out. The situation was caused by flying at a slow airspeed, low altitude, in gusty wind conditions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C152 PLT ADMITS THAT HE FLEW LOW ON PHOTO RUNS.

Narrative: I WAS TAKING AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS IN GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS AT 500 FT AGL. WINDS WERE OUT OF THE W. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE ACFT DRIFTED BELOW 500 FT. I CORRECTED AS SOON AS I NOTICED THE DEV. ON ONE PARTICULAR OCCASION, AFTER TURNING FROM WBOUND TO EBOUND FOR MY PHOTO RUN, I WAS HIT WITH A TAILWIND GUST. SINCE I WAS FLYING SLOW, THE ACFT LOST 200 FT OF ALT BEFORE I COULD GET ENOUGH SPD TO CLB OUT. THE SIT WAS CAUSED BY FLYING AT A SLOW AIRSPD, LOW ALT, IN GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS.

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.