WATER VEHICLE TFC AND RIGHT-OF-WAY DISPUTED BY PLT OF AMPHIBIAN.
Synopsis
WATER VEHICLE TFC AND RIGHT-OF-WAY DISPUTED BY PLT OF AMPHIBIAN.
Narrative
WHEN ARRIVING AT OUR COTTAGE ON MAY/XX/94; SAND POINT NEAR LASEVILLE; MI (SAGINAW BAY -- THUMB OF MICHIGAN); I NOTICED FISHING NETS PERPENDICULAR TO THE SHORELINE EXTENDING FROM THE N (POINT RUNS E/W) TO ABOUT 500 FT OFF SHORE TOWARD THE S. WE LIVE ON THE N SIDE OF THE POINT. THE WATER WAS TOO ROUGH N OF THE NETS OR THE WIND WAS W AND SW; REQUIRING TO LAND PARALLEL TO THE SHORE BTWN THE NETS AND SHORE; JUST TO THE INSIDE OF THE NETS. THE NEXT DAY; THE SAME SIT EXISTED REQUIRING TKOFS AND LNDGS JUST S OF THE NETS. A FEW JET SKIS AND 1 BOAT (THE BOAT WAS ANCHORED) WERE ALSO USING THE SAME AREA. MY NOTE: ON THE AFTERNOON OF MAY/XY/94 A BOAT WAS STUCK ON A SANDBAR 1 MI OFFSHORE WAVING A FLAG. AS I WAS PREPARING TO LAND; 2 JET SKIS CAME TO HIS AID. I MADE 1 LOW (200 FT) PASS TO CONFIRM HIS DISTRESS. TKOFS NEVER APCHED CLOSER THAN 250 FT ON THE WATER AND I NEVER FLEW OVER ANY BOAT/JET SKI LESS THAN ABOUT 150 FT FOR THE LNDGS AND TKOFS WHICH TOTALED 4. AT ONE TIME IT WAS NECESSARY TO STEP TAXI TO THE W WHILE DEVIATING N AROUND THE ANCHORED BOAT BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH THE TKOF. A FEW PEOPLE COMPLAINED I WAS TOO CLOSE TO THEM TO THE HURON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT WHO THEN CAME OUT TO OUR COTTAGE. THEY WERE VERY NICE ABOUT IT AND WERE AWARE THAT I WAS THE FIRST TO HAVE A SEAPLANE ON THE POINT (THE POINT IS 5 MI LONG) AND THAT PEOPLE WOULD JUST HAVE TO GET USED TO IT A LITTLE. ACCORDING TO FAA-LANSING; A SEAPLANE HAS THE RIGHT-OF-WAY OVER A MORE MANEUVERABLE VESSEL SUCH AS A JET SKI! THIS SHOULD BE MADE MORE CLR IN THE REGS. CURRENT REGS REGARDING MINIMUM ALTS ARE FINE -- IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN; MINIMUM VESSEL CLRNC ON THE WATER OF 100 FT IS FINE TOO; BUT THIS SHOULD BE BASED ON SPD AS AT 5 MPH AND DOCKING; NO ONE KEEPS A 100 FT SPACE BTWN THEM! ALL IN ALL; EVERYTHING WAS PERFORMED SAFELY AND; EXCEPT FOR A LITTLE MORE NOISE ON THE LAKE; MOST PEOPLE ARE THRILLED TO WATCH AND RIDE IN THE SEAPLANE. I'M THANKFUL FOR THAT RIGHT AND WILL FIGHT (IF NECESSARY) TO MAINTAIN THAT RIGHT. ALSO; ARE WE (SEAPLANES) ALLOWED TO MAKE 1 LOW PASS TO CHK THE WATER FOR OBSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO LNDG? TO ME; THIS IS PART OF THE LNDG PHASE AND SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE REGS!
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.