PVT PLT OF A C152 CONDUCTED OPS OVER AND AROUND A FRIEND'S HOUSE AND THE HILLY TERRAIN UNDERNEATH CLASS C AIRSPACE. FAA INSPECTOR IS INVESTIGATING COMPLAINTS OF LOW ALT CIVIL FLT.
Synopsis
PVT PLT OF A C152 CONDUCTED OPS OVER AND AROUND A FRIEND'S HOUSE AND THE HILLY TERRAIN UNDERNEATH CLASS C AIRSPACE. FAA INSPECTOR IS INVESTIGATING COMPLAINTS OF LOW ALT CIVIL FLT.
Narrative
ON DEC/XA/98 I FLEW BY A FRIEND'S HOUSE IN THOMASTON; CT. I FLEW BY HIS HOUSE AT 640 FT AGL. A FEW HRS LATER; I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM FAA AGENT. HE SAID HE IS INVESTIGATING COMPLAINTS OF A LOW FLYING AIRPLANE. HE RECORDED OUR CONVERSATION AND ASKED ME QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE FLT. AGENT SAID THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 1000 FT AGL. HE SAID IT WAS CONSIDERED AN URBAN AREA. BEING THE PIC; I CONSIDERED IT TO BE A RURAL AREA; CONSIDERING IT WAS A FEW MI AWAY FROM THE CITY AREA OF THAT TOWN. ALSO; THE FACT THERE ARE LOTS OF FIELDS AND FARM AREA TOO; LED ME TO CONSIDER IT A RURAL AREA AND BE SAFE AND LEGAL AT 500+ FT AGL. AGENT SAID I AM FACING A POSSIBLE SUSPENSION. I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION THAT I WAS AT 640 FT AGL FOR ONLY ABOUT 1/8 MI. AGENT SAID HE IS ALSO INVESTIGATING A DISAPPEARANCE OF MY PLANE FROM THE RADAR AT BDL ON THE SAME DATE AT ABOUT XD30. HE SAID IT WAS BY THE FRINGE OF THEIR CLASS C AIRSPACE. I WAS FLYING OVER CANTON; CT; WHICH IS UNDER BDL'S AIRSPACE; WHICH IN THAT AREA STARTS AT 2100 FT AND GOES UP TO 4200 FT. I FLEW OVER CANTON AT 1100 FT AGL TO 900 FT AGL; CANTON IS AT 400 FT MSL. IN THIS SIT I WAS CLRLY AT A SAFE ALT OVER CANTON AND AT A SAFE ALT UNDER BDL'S CLASS C AIRSPACE. THERE ARE LOTS OF HILLS IN THAT AREA WITH STEEP DROPS AND VALLEYS. THAT IS PROBABLY WHY I DISAPPEARED FROM BDL'S RADAR.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.