 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
C172 pilot on aerial photo flight tried to attain an altitude too high for the aircraft performance and had to spiral back down.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 370409 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199706 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : co42 |
| State Reference | CO |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 1428 flight time type : 1350 |
| ASRS Report | 370409 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far other anomaly other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : regained aircraft control |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was shooting aerial photography in elbert county 2 mi wnw of elisabeth, co, 30 mi south of denver. With full throttle I couldn't maintain the minimum altitude require by far -- I lost about 600 ft. Using my past experience in glider I circled at this location and got zero FPM vertical speed. After a little bit the plane starting to climb a little and I left this area. The decision to stay at this location can be questionable but the nature of the terrain gave me the best separation from the ground. The contributing factor was the altitude of the terrain, the temperature (31 degrees), the high density altitude (approximately 16000 ft) and the aerologic condition at this time (downdraft). The human performance would be my inexperience with shooting aerial photos in high altitude areas and misjudging the airplane's performance.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: C172 PLT ON AERIAL PHOTO FLT TRIED TO ATTAIN AN ALT TOO HIGH FOR THE ACFT PERFORMANCE AND HAD TO SPIRAL BACK DOWN.
Narrative: I WAS SHOOTING AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY IN ELBERT COUNTY 2 MI WNW OF ELISABETH, CO, 30 MI S OF DENVER. WITH FULL THROTTLE I COULDN'T MAINTAIN THE MINIMUM ALT REQUIRE BY FAR -- I LOST ABOUT 600 FT. USING MY PAST EXPERIENCE IN GLIDER I CIRCLED AT THIS LOCATION AND GOT ZERO FPM VERT SPD. AFTER A LITTLE BIT THE PLANE STARTING TO CLB A LITTLE AND I LEFT THIS AREA. THE DECISION TO STAY AT THIS LOCATION CAN BE QUESTIONABLE BUT THE NATURE OF THE TERRAIN GAVE ME THE BEST SEPARATION FROM THE GND. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE ALT OF THE TERRAIN, THE TEMP (31 DEGS), THE HIGH DENSITY ALT (APPROX 16000 FT) AND THE AEROLOGIC CONDITION AT THIS TIME (DOWNDRAFT). THE HUMAN PERFORMANCE WOULD BE MY INEXPERIENCE WITH SHOOTING AERIAL PHOTOS IN HIGH ALT AREAS AND MISJUDGING THE AIRPLANE'S PERFORMANCE.
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.