LOW ALT CIVIL OP RESULTS IN POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF FAR AFTER 2 FAA INSPECTORS IN A FLT INSPECTION ACTIVITY ACFT CITES RPTR FOR PROX OF TERRAIN. (FAR 91 PT 119 PT C).

Date: 1991-08 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-other-unknown|other-unspecified

Synopsis

LOW ALT CIVIL OP RESULTS IN POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF FAR AFTER 2 FAA INSPECTORS IN A FLT INSPECTION ACTIVITY ACFT CITES RPTR FOR PROX OF TERRAIN. (FAR 91 PT 119 PT C).

Narrative

WHILE MY STUDENT AND I WERE PRACTICING AN ENG OUT PROC AT THE WELLINGTON ARPT; INSPECTORS WERE ALSO FLYING OVER THE FIELD AT APPROX THE SAME TIME. (PM:45 LCL). WE HAD SEEN THEIR ACFT HIGH ABOVE US AND TO THE R APPROX 1-2000 FT AS WE CONTINUED OUR ENG OUT GLIDE THROUGH 1000 FT AFTER PASSING OVER THE THRESHOLD AT 300 FT WE DECIDED TO GAR; INITIATE A CLBING R TURN AND PROCEED BACK TO PALM BEACH INTL ARPT. HOWEVER; UPON ARR WE WERE GREETED BY INSPECTORS WHO HAD JUST LANDED AFTER US AND BASICALLY RAMP CHKED ME. THERE WERE NO COMPLICATIONS OF THE RAMP CHK. BUT INSPECTOR STATED THERE WERE MANY COMPLAINTS BY THE RESIDENTS OF WELLINGTON THAT PLTS WERE BUZZING HOUSES. AT THAT POINT I EXPLAINED TO HIM WE WERE MERELY PRACTICING AN ENG OUT EMER PROC AND HIS REPLY TO THAT WAS 91.119. FORTUNATELY THE TOPIC SENTENCE OF THAT REG STATES 'EXCEPT WHEN NECESSARY FOR TKOF OR LNDG; NO PERSON MAY OPERATE AN ACFT BELOW THE FOLLOWING ALTS.' IF BY STARTING MY TURN IMMEDIATELY AFTER PASSING OVER THE THRESHOLD GAVE HIM THE IMPRESSION WE WERE ONE OF HIS PROBLEM PLTS; THIS IS NOT THE CASE. PLEASE EXTEND OUR APOLOGIES TO INSPECTORS FOR THIS ILLUSION. I WOULD APPRECIATE A PHONE CALL FROM YOU FOLKS ON HOW I MAY TRAIN MY PLTS TO PRACTICE THIS PROC WITHOUT CREATING UNDUE STRESS AND MISUNDERSTANDING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATED THAT FAA HAD CHKED THE REGS AND TURNED THE MATTER OVER TO THEIR LEGAL DEPT. LEGAL FOUND THAT THE INFRACTION WAS NOT INTENTIONAL AND THAT RPTR WAS NOT ONE OF THE PREVIOUS TRANSGRESSORS THAT HAD BEEN RPTED IN AREA SO LET HIM GO. INSPECTOR MADE A STRANGE REMARK THAT HE WAS SORRY THAT THEY COULDN'T PROSECUTE RPTR FOR EVENT AND RECOMMEND THAT IN THE FUTURE RPTR TERMINATE HIS AIRWORK ON ENG OUT LNDGS AT 500 FT OR HIGHER. RPTR WAS USING A PVT ARPT FOR WORK SINCE HE KNEW ONE OF THE OWNERS AND OWNER STATED HE COULD LAND THERE ANYTIME.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.