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Helicopter pilot lands in a field adjacent to a housing development and is cited by local authority/authorized for breaking county city regulations.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 582294 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200305 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zab.artcc |
| State Reference | NM |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing : roll |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5300 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 582294 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company other |
| Function | other personnel |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure non adherence other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : 2 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I landed a helicopter in the common area of a housing community behind my house. The landing area is very big. The approach was textbook, and no one was in the area on the ground. I have done this in the past (not at this location but similar) with absolutely no problems at all. As it turned out, it caused quite a commotion. An ambulance passing by saw me landing and reported it to the police as a helicopter crash. So, within moments, police cars, fire engines and news rptrs gathered all around. The reason I landed there was just to have dinner with my family. The local auths were not impressed with that reason and charged me with several state laws they thought may apply. I had no idea it would cause so much grief and am very sorry to take the time and resources of all involved. I know I did not violate any FAA regulations, however, due to the general nature of the verbiage of far 91.13, it may be determined that this regulation may apply even though I took reasonable precautions prior to landing and no one was in any danger. Chain of events. I told my wife I would be home for dinner. (I planned on driving and my home is 20 mi away.) the helicopter took longer to get ready than anticipated. I had to be back at the airport for a flight after dinner. I decided to fly home to make everyone happy. In retrospect, it was a poor decision but based on prior experience, I had no reason to believe it would cause such a problem.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: HELI PLT LANDS IN A FIELD ADJACENT TO A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND IS CITED BY LCL AUTH FOR BREAKING COUNTY CITY REGS.
Narrative: I LANDED A HELI IN THE COMMON AREA OF A HOUSING COMMUNITY BEHIND MY HOUSE. THE LNDG AREA IS VERY BIG. THE APCH WAS TEXTBOOK, AND NO ONE WAS IN THE AREA ON THE GND. I HAVE DONE THIS IN THE PAST (NOT AT THIS LOCATION BUT SIMILAR) WITH ABSOLUTELY NO PROBS AT ALL. AS IT TURNED OUT, IT CAUSED QUITE A COMMOTION. AN AMBULANCE PASSING BY SAW ME LNDG AND RPTED IT TO THE POLICE AS A HELI CRASH. SO, WITHIN MOMENTS, POLICE CARS, FIRE ENGS AND NEWS RPTRS GATHERED ALL AROUND. THE REASON I LANDED THERE WAS JUST TO HAVE DINNER WITH MY FAMILY. THE LCL AUTHS WERE NOT IMPRESSED WITH THAT REASON AND CHARGED ME WITH SEVERAL STATE LAWS THEY THOUGHT MAY APPLY. I HAD NO IDEA IT WOULD CAUSE SO MUCH GRIEF AND AM VERY SORRY TO TAKE THE TIME AND RESOURCES OF ALL INVOLVED. I KNOW I DID NOT VIOLATE ANY FAA REGS, HOWEVER, DUE TO THE GENERAL NATURE OF THE VERBIAGE OF FAR 91.13, IT MAY BE DETERMINED THAT THIS REG MAY APPLY EVEN THOUGH I TOOK REASONABLE PRECAUTIONS PRIOR TO LNDG AND NO ONE WAS IN ANY DANGER. CHAIN OF EVENTS. I TOLD MY WIFE I WOULD BE HOME FOR DINNER. (I PLANNED ON DRIVING AND MY HOME IS 20 MI AWAY.) THE HELI TOOK LONGER TO GET READY THAN ANTICIPATED. I HAD TO BE BACK AT THE ARPT FOR A FLT AFTER DINNER. I DECIDED TO FLY HOME TO MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY. IN RETROSPECT, IT WAS A POOR DECISION BUT BASED ON PRIOR EXPERIENCE, I HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE IT WOULD CAUSE SUCH A PROB.
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.