Private pilot of a C152 conducted operations over and around a friend's house and the hilly terrain ...

Attributes
ACN	421855
Time
Date	199812
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : n09 airport : bdl
State Reference	CT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 640 agl bound upper : 640
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 other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 1 flight time total : 108 flight time type : 108
ASRS Report	421855
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : assigned or threatened penalties
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On dec/xa/98 I flew by a friend's house in thomaston, ct. I flew by his house at 640 ft AGL. A few hours later, I received a phone call from FAA agent. He said he is investigating complaints of a low flying airplane. He recorded our conversation and asked me questions concerning the flight. Agent said that I should have been at least 1000 ft AGL. He said it was considered an urban area. Being the PIC, I considered it to be a rural area, considering it was a few mi away from the city area of that town. Also, the fact there are lots of fields and farm area too, led me to consider it a rural area and be safe and legal at 500+ ft AGL. Agent said I am facing a possible suspension. I also wanted to mention that I was at 640 ft AGL for only about 1/8 mi. Agent said he is also investigating a disappearance of my plane from the radar at bdl on the same date at about XD30. He said it was by the fringe of their class C airspace. I was flying over canton, ct, which is under bdl's airspace, which in that area starts at 2100 ft and goes up to 4200 ft. I flew over canton at 1100 ft AGL to 900 ft AGL, canton is at 400 ft MSL. In this situation I was clearly at a safe altitude over canton and at a safe altitude under bdl's class C airspace. There are lots of hills in that area with steep drops and valleys. That is probably why I disappeared from bdl's radar.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A C152 CONDUCTED OPS OVER AND AROUND A FRIEND'S HOUSE AND THE HILLY TERRAIN UNDERNEATH CLASS C AIRSPACE. FAA INSPECTOR IS INVESTIGATING COMPLAINTS OF LOW ALT CIVIL FLT.

Narrative: ON DEC/XA/98 I FLEW BY A FRIEND'S HOUSE IN THOMASTON, CT. I FLEW BY HIS HOUSE AT 640 FT AGL. A FEW HRS LATER, I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM FAA AGENT. HE SAID HE IS INVESTIGATING COMPLAINTS OF A LOW FLYING AIRPLANE. HE RECORDED OUR CONVERSATION AND ASKED ME QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE FLT. AGENT SAID THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 1000 FT AGL. HE SAID IT WAS CONSIDERED AN URBAN AREA. BEING THE PIC, I CONSIDERED IT TO BE A RURAL AREA, CONSIDERING IT WAS A FEW MI AWAY FROM THE CITY AREA OF THAT TOWN. ALSO, THE FACT THERE ARE LOTS OF FIELDS AND FARM AREA TOO, LED ME TO CONSIDER IT A RURAL AREA AND BE SAFE AND LEGAL AT 500+ FT AGL. AGENT SAID I AM FACING A POSSIBLE SUSPENSION. I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION THAT I WAS AT 640 FT AGL FOR ONLY ABOUT 1/8 MI. AGENT SAID HE IS ALSO INVESTIGATING A DISAPPEARANCE OF MY PLANE FROM THE RADAR AT BDL ON THE SAME DATE AT ABOUT XD30. HE SAID IT WAS BY THE FRINGE OF THEIR CLASS C AIRSPACE. I WAS FLYING OVER CANTON, CT, WHICH IS UNDER BDL'S AIRSPACE, WHICH IN THAT AREA STARTS AT 2100 FT AND GOES UP TO 4200 FT. I FLEW OVER CANTON AT 1100 FT AGL TO 900 FT AGL, CANTON IS AT 400 FT MSL. IN THIS SIT I WAS CLRLY AT A SAFE ALT OVER CANTON AND AT A SAFE ALT UNDER BDL'S CLASS C AIRSPACE. THERE ARE LOTS OF HILLS IN THAT AREA WITH STEEP DROPS AND VALLEYS. THAT IS PROBABLY WHY I DISAPPEARED FROM BDL'S RADAR.

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.

Private pilot of a C152 conducted operations over and around a friend's house and the hilly terrain underneath class C airspace. FAA inspector is investigating complaints of low altitude civil flight.