LOW ALT MOUNTAIN PHOTO SHOOT RESULTS IN ENCOUNTER WITH WIND CONDITIONS THAT MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN ALT NEAR RIDGE LINE AND MINIMUM SEPARATION FROM PERSONS ON THE GND WAS NOT KEPT.

Narrative

WHILE FLYING A PHOTO FLT; THE FOLLOWING SIT OCCURRED: THE TARGET WAS A VENUE PART WAY UP A MOUNTAIN SIDE BELOW A RIDGE. AS SURFACE WINDS WERE LIGHT AND I HADN'T ENCOUNTERED ANY TURB THUS FAR; I PLANNED TO APCH HEAD-ON FROM THE LEE SIDE OF THE RIDGE AT A CONSTANT ALT THAT WOULD PROVIDE MINIMUM ALLOWABLE ALT UPON XING THE RIDGE. TO KEEP THE SPD SLOW ENOUGH FOR THE JOB; THE ACFT WAS PUT IN A HIGH DRAG/PWR CONFIGN. WHEN NEARING THE RIDGE; I ENCOUNTERED SINKING AIR. BY RECONFIGURING THE ACFT TO REDUCE DRAG; I THOUGHT I WOULD BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT AND CONTINUED. HOWEVER; AS IT TURNED OUT; THIS WAS NOT ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN THE SEPARATION LEVEL WE DESIRED FROM THE RIDGE TOP AND PUT US IN UNCOMFORTABLE PROX TO STRUCTURES AND PERSONS NEARBY. SEVERAL ERRORS WERE MADE: 1) I WAS LULLED INTO COMPLACENCY BY CONDITIONS AWAY FROM THE MOUNTAIN (CONDITIONS IN THE MOUNTAINOUS AREAS ARE PREDICTABLY UNPREDICTABLE). 2) STAYED WITH THE APCH TOO LONG (WAIT AND SEE IF IT GETS BETTER) INSTEAD OF ABORTING THE APCH AT FIRST HINT OF DOWNDRAFT. 3) SHOULD NOT HAVE AGREED TO FOCUS ON MINIMUM ALLOWABLE ALTS (DOESN'T ALLOW FOR ANY MARGIN OF ERROR OR UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES) INSTEAD OF HIGHER LEVELS THAT WOULD PROVIDE A MORE GENEROUS MARGIN. 4) I SHOULD NOT HAVE APCHED FROM THE LEE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN (FIGURING THE ACFT WOULD OUTPERFORM ANY DOWNDRAFTS) -- ESPECIALLY IN A HIGH DRAG CONFIGN.