BRIDGE WORKERS COMPLAINED ABOUT AGRICULTURE SPRAY OPERATOR OF A TURBOPROP AGRICULTURE ACFT COMING RIGHT OVER THEM ON A BRIDGE ADJACENT TO A FIELD IN WHICH RPTR WAS SPRAYING.

Narrative

AT THE BEGINNING OF AERIAL APPLICATION ON A FIELD; I WAS FOCUSED ON THE HDG INDICATOR ON THE GPS LIGHT BAR MOUNTED ON THE ACFT'S NOSE. JUST AS I GOT THE HDG I WANTED; I NOTICED BEYOND THE LIGHT BAR SEVERAL CONSTRUCTION WORKERS STANDING ON A BRIDGE AT THE END OF THE FIELD. I DIDN'T HAVE ANY SPRAY ON YET AND DOUBLECHKED THAT AS I HAULED BACK ON THE CTL STICK; WHICH ALL PROBABLY LOOKED TO THE WORKERS LIKE A ROYAL BUZZ JOB. SINCE OMITTING THE FIELD WOULD HAVE UPSET MY WHOLE DAILY SCHEDULE; I PROCEEDED TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE FIELD AND WAS WORKING MY WAY BACK AND FORTH EACH SWATH GETTING CLOSER TO THEM IN HOPES THEY MIGHT DECIDE TO LEAVE FOR A COFFEE BREAK SINCE IT WAS MID MORNING. WHEN I HAD WORKED MY WAY TO WITHIN 1000 FT PERPENDICULAR TO THEM; I ABORTED OPS AND HEADED FOR HOME WITH MY PARTIAL LOAD. A FEW MINS LATER; DISPATCH RADIOED ME THAT THE BRIDGE CREW CALLED OPS WONDERING WHAT PRODUCT I WAS USING AND ADVISED THAT THEY 'HAD TO EVAC THE AREA.' WHY; I DON'T KNOW. SINCE THEY WERE GONE; I RETURNED TO THE FIELD; OBSERVED NO ONE PRESENT; AND FINISHED THE JOB. I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE CIRCLED THE FIELD FIRST; BUT I WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH IT HAVING TREATED IT SEVERAL TIMES IN PREVIOUS YRS AND SEVERAL TIMES THIS SEASON. IN ADDITION; I'D JUST BEEN BY THERE A FEW HRS EARLIER; AND NO ONE WAS PRESENT.