PLT OF A PIPER PA31-350 FLEW BELOW THE MSA OVER A ROAD WITH CAR TFC DURING A SIGHT-SEEING FLT WHILE RETURNING TO HOME BASE AFTER AN ATX PAX DROPOFF.

Narrative

ON OCT/SUN/96 I DEPARTED KING COVE ARPT IN A PA31-350. I HAD JUST FINISHED DROPPING OFF PAX FROM A PART 135 CHARTER FLT AND WAS RETURNING TO COLD BAY PART 91. I HAVE FLOWN INTO THE KING COVE ARPT MANY TIMES BUT HAVE NEVER SEEN THE TOWN OF KING COVE BECAUSE IT SITS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A HILL ABOUT 7 MI FROM THE ARPT. I DEPARTED RWY 7 AND MADE A R DOWNWIND DEP. WHEN I HAD ENOUGH ALT I TURNED TOWARD TOWN AND WENT OVER THE HILL AT 100 FT AGL. I FLEW OVER THE TOWN AT 1000 FT AGL; DID A 180 DEG TURN; AND HEADED BACK TOWARD THE HILL. ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY TO THE HILL; A RIDGE COMES OFF A MOUNTAIN AND THE ROAD TO THE ARPT GOES AROUND AND BEHIND THE RIDGE. HALFWAY BTWN THE TOWN AND THE RIDGE I SAW A CAR GOING TOWARD TOWN AND THOUGHT THAT WAS THE LAST OF THE CARS COMING FROM THE ARPT. I DSNDED TO APPROX 100 FT AGL AND FOLLOWED THE ROAD. SINCE THIS WAS A PART 91 FLT IN AN UNCONGESTED SPARSELY POPULATED AREA; ACCORDING TO FAR PART 91.119 I WAS LEGAL TO FLY AT AN ALT LESS THAN 500 FT AGL. I COULD NOT SEE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIDGE AND WHEN I FLEW AROUND IT I MET HEAD TO HEAD WITH 2 OTHER CARS. I FLEW OVER THEM AT LESS THAN 500 FT AGL. I DID NOT KNOW THE CARS WERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIDGE BECAUSE IT WAS BLOCKING MY VIEW. HAD I KNOWN THEY WERE THERE; I WOULD HAVE STAYED AT LEAST 500 FT ABOVE THEM.