Narrative:

A gentleman scheduled an airplane to be flown out to sea and drop the remains (ashes) of his grandmother. Arriving at the airport a little early, he met with me to discuss the activity of the flight. He told me that he wanted to depart and fly east to the shore. The ceremony was to take place off the shore by coconuts restaurant. We then departed the airport and proceeded to the shoreline at 1000'. Upon reaching the shoreline we headed north so the client could show me where he wanted the ceremony to take place. Also, he wanted the pass to be as close to schedule as possible, his family had assembled along the seashore. After making a right hand turn and descending to 500', I proceeded to head south. I was 1000-1200' from the breaking waves and at an altitude of 500' when he dropped the ashes. At no time during the ceremony were we in a careless or reckless manner. Also, during the entire event, we never violated any part of the far's 91.9, 91.13 or 91.79 (C). Since this has drawn attention to me as a pilot, it is my belief that maybe there should not be ash drops allowed off shore, even if they are done in a proper, legal manner. I was told by one of my supervisors, who spoke to the lady with the complaint, that it sounded as if the person might have been intoxicated. Nevertheless, I truly do not want this to get blown out of proportion. In my opinion (and the opinion of quite a few others who were witnesses), I did nothing wrong.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN OBSERVER STATES THE REPORTER FLEW IN A CARELESS MANNER. ACFT WAS FLOWN AT 500' ALT OFFSHORE TO DROP HUMAN ASHES AS CONTRACTED BY FAMILY OF THE DECEASED.

Narrative: A GENTLEMAN SCHEDULED AN AIRPLANE TO BE FLOWN OUT TO SEA AND DROP THE REMAINS (ASHES) OF HIS GRANDMOTHER. ARRIVING AT THE ARPT A LITTLE EARLY, HE MET WITH ME TO DISCUSS THE ACTIVITY OF THE FLT. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WANTED TO DEPART AND FLY E TO THE SHORE. THE CEREMONY WAS TO TAKE PLACE OFF THE SHORE BY COCONUTS RESTAURANT. WE THEN DEPARTED THE ARPT AND PROCEEDED TO THE SHORELINE AT 1000'. UPON REACHING THE SHORELINE WE HEADED N SO THE CLIENT COULD SHOW ME WHERE HE WANTED THE CEREMONY TO TAKE PLACE. ALSO, HE WANTED THE PASS TO BE AS CLOSE TO SCHEDULE AS POSSIBLE, HIS FAMILY HAD ASSEMBLED ALONG THE SEASHORE. AFTER MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN AND DSNDING TO 500', I PROCEEDED TO HEAD S. I WAS 1000-1200' FROM THE BREAKING WAVES AND AT AN ALT OF 500' WHEN HE DROPPED THE ASHES. AT NO TIME DURING THE CEREMONY WERE WE IN A CARELESS OR RECKLESS MANNER. ALSO, DURING THE ENTIRE EVENT, WE NEVER VIOLATED ANY PART OF THE FAR'S 91.9, 91.13 OR 91.79 (C). SINCE THIS HAS DRAWN ATTN TO ME AS A PLT, IT IS MY BELIEF THAT MAYBE THERE SHOULD NOT BE ASH DROPS ALLOWED OFF SHORE, EVEN IF THEY ARE DONE IN A PROPER, LEGAL MANNER. I WAS TOLD BY ONE OF MY SUPVRS, WHO SPOKE TO THE LADY WITH THE COMPLAINT, THAT IT SOUNDED AS IF THE PERSON MIGHT HAVE BEEN INTOXICATED. NEVERTHELESS, I TRULY DO NOT WANT THIS TO GET BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION. IN MY OPINION (AND THE OPINION OF QUITE A FEW OTHERS WHO WERE WITNESSES), I DID NOTHING WRONG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.