Narrative:

I had a flight to take 6 people to view bears at frazer lake. There is a fish weir there, and bears congregate by it to catch salmon. This lake is in the kodiak national wildlife refuge. Prior to the flight, I looked for information on flying in the refuge, and found none in the alaska supplement or aim. I had been told by the owner of the air carrier that I fly for that 'they' (alaska fish and game, who have fish biologists stationed at the weir) like pilots to stay 1000 ft MSL above the weir if fltseeing. When I got to the lake, the wind was blowing directly towards the river about 15 KTS. It was gusty and white capping. I made an approach on a downwind about 1500 ft MSL over the weir (the lake is about 400 ft MSL). Due to the winds and my load (6 passenger -- the beaver holds 7 passenger total), I elected to land into the wind, so my final approach was over the weir and river. After I landed and offloaded my passenger, I started wondering if it had actually been ok to come in over the river for the landing. I had not found anything in writing that said it wasn't, and had seen the owner of the company I fly for make the same type of approach and landing the day before. I asked one of the fish biologists if it was ok to make that type of approach when the wind was blowing from that direction, and did it bother the bears? He said yes, it was ok to land like that, and that it wouldn't bother the bears. At this point, I'm not sure if there was anything inappropriate about landing over the river, but at the time with the conditions at the lake, it seemed like the safest thing to do. It might be nice if the alaska supplement addressed the kodiak national wildlife refuge, as it does address other wildlife refuges in the state. There was no information about staying above 2000 ft in wildlife areas, but nothing about landing in the areas, except you had to land in rivers, lakes, and airstrips that were approved.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A DEHAVILLAND BEAVER DHC2 ON FLOATS MADE VISUAL APCH OVER THE WEIR DURING LNDG ON FRAZER LAKE INSIDE THE KODIAK NATL WILDLIFE REFUGE. RPTR WAS CONCERNED THAT IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SPECIAL WILDLIFE REFUGE RULES TO NOT GO LOWER THAN 1000 FT OVER THE WEIR WHEN SIGHTSEEING.

Narrative: I HAD A FLT TO TAKE 6 PEOPLE TO VIEW BEARS AT FRAZER LAKE. THERE IS A FISH WEIR THERE, AND BEARS CONGREGATE BY IT TO CATCH SALMON. THIS LAKE IS IN THE KODIAK NATL WILDLIFE REFUGE. PRIOR TO THE FLT, I LOOKED FOR INFO ON FLYING IN THE REFUGE, AND FOUND NONE IN THE ALASKA SUPPLEMENT OR AIM. I HAD BEEN TOLD BY THE OWNER OF THE ACR THAT I FLY FOR THAT 'THEY' (ALASKA FISH AND GAME, WHO HAVE FISH BIOLOGISTS STATIONED AT THE WEIR) LIKE PLTS TO STAY 1000 FT MSL ABOVE THE WEIR IF FLTSEEING. WHEN I GOT TO THE LAKE, THE WIND WAS BLOWING DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE RIVER ABOUT 15 KTS. IT WAS GUSTY AND WHITE CAPPING. I MADE AN APCH ON A DOWNWIND ABOUT 1500 FT MSL OVER THE WEIR (THE LAKE IS ABOUT 400 FT MSL). DUE TO THE WINDS AND MY LOAD (6 PAX -- THE BEAVER HOLDS 7 PAX TOTAL), I ELECTED TO LAND INTO THE WIND, SO MY FINAL APCH WAS OVER THE WEIR AND RIVER. AFTER I LANDED AND OFFLOADED MY PAX, I STARTED WONDERING IF IT HAD ACTUALLY BEEN OK TO COME IN OVER THE RIVER FOR THE LNDG. I HAD NOT FOUND ANYTHING IN WRITING THAT SAID IT WASN'T, AND HAD SEEN THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY I FLY FOR MAKE THE SAME TYPE OF APCH AND LNDG THE DAY BEFORE. I ASKED ONE OF THE FISH BIOLOGISTS IF IT WAS OK TO MAKE THAT TYPE OF APCH WHEN THE WIND WAS BLOWING FROM THAT DIRECTION, AND DID IT BOTHER THE BEARS? HE SAID YES, IT WAS OK TO LAND LIKE THAT, AND THAT IT WOULDN'T BOTHER THE BEARS. AT THIS POINT, I'M NOT SURE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING INAPPROPRIATE ABOUT LNDG OVER THE RIVER, BUT AT THE TIME WITH THE CONDITIONS AT THE LAKE, IT SEEMED LIKE THE SAFEST THING TO DO. IT MIGHT BE NICE IF THE ALASKA SUPPLEMENT ADDRESSED THE KODIAK NATL WILDLIFE REFUGE, AS IT DOES ADDRESS OTHER WILDLIFE REFUGES IN THE STATE. THERE WAS NO INFO ABOUT STAYING ABOVE 2000 FT IN WILDLIFE AREAS, BUT NOTHING ABOUT LNDG IN THE AREAS, EXCEPT YOU HAD TO LAND IN RIVERS, LAKES, AND AIRSTRIPS THAT WERE APPROVED.

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.