SMA AMPHIBIAN PLT CONTACTED BY FAA INSPECTOR AND CHARGED WITH LOW FLT OVER WATER OP.
Synopsis
SMA AMPHIBIAN PLT CONTACTED BY FAA INSPECTOR AND CHARGED WITH LOW FLT OVER WATER OP.
Narrative
ON SEP/FRI/91; I RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM THE FAA OFFICE IN FT LAUDERDALE; FL; INFORMING ME THAT AN FAA INSPECTOR HAD RPTED A LOW FLYING ACFT; IDENTED AS ME AND HAD FILED A RPT. I IDENTED MYSELF AS THE PIC ON THAT FLT AND ANSWERED SEVERAL QUESTIONS OF ME. UPON REACHING THE FT LAUDERDALE AREA; NBOUND; I SPOTTED A GOOD AREA TO DIVE IN. I MADE 1 WIDE 360 DEG TURN AND CAME IN APPROX 1000 FT OFF SHORE TO LAND IN SMOOTHER WATER. THEN DECIDING THAT THERE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TIME TO DIVE; I DISCONTINUED THE LNDG AND CONTINUED NBOUND; RETURNING TO LANTANA ARPT AT APPROX XA15 P.M. THE ALT FOR THE LNDG AT FT LAUDERDALE WAS FLOWN AT 100 FT WITH SHALLOW BANKS. 1 360 DEG TURN WAS MADE THROUGH THE ENTIRE FLT. ALTHOUGH THE ALT WAS LOW; THE AIRPLANE WAS ALWAYS IN A POS TO MAKE A SAFE EMER LNDG ON THE WATER. I WOULD HAVE MAINTAINED AT LEAST 500- 1000 FT OVER THE WATER IF FLYING IN A LAND AIRPLANE. IT IS NORMAL TO ABORT A LNDG JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN AND NORMAL TO MAKE SEVERAL PASSES TO CHK THE LNDG AREA AND ALERT PEOPLE IN THE WATER OF AN INTENDED LNDG.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.