LOW ALT FLT OF PERHAPS LESS THAN 500 FT AGL BY A C172 ATP PLT 20 NE OF PIA; IL.

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ENRTE FROM ARPT 3MY TO ARPT C77; I ELECTED TO FLY OVER AN AREA N OF THE TOWN OF WASHINGTON; IL; SO AS TO LET FRIENDS I HAD BEEN VISITING EARLIER SEE THE ACFT; WHICH I WAS PLTING. I AM QUITE FAMILIAR WITH THIS LOCATION; AND IT COULD BEST BE DESCRIBED AS RURAL OR UNCONGESTED. EXCELLENT VFR WX PREVAILED; AND WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY THAT OBSTACLES WERE NOT A FACTOR; I MADE A SINGLE FLY-OVER PASS; AND THEN CONTINUED ON TO MY DEST. I THOUGHT NOTHING FURTHER OF THE EVENT UNTIL LATER WHEN INFORMED BY MY FRIENDS I APPEARED LOWER THAN 500 FT AGL. I CANNOT BE CERTAIN OF THIS; AS I CANNOT EXACTLY KNOW THE TERRAIN HT IN THAT LOCALE; BUT I DID HAVE MY ALTIMETER SET CORRECTLY; AND WOULD NEVER INTENTIONALLY FLY BELOW A MINIMUM SAFE ALT. ABSOLUTELY NO STUNTS WERE PERFORMED; AND IT WAS SIMPLY A FLY-OVER WITH; PERHAPS; A MOMENTARY AND INADVERTENT DSCNT BELOW MINIMUM SAFE ALT AS DEFINED BY FAR PART 91. I WAS NEVER CLOSE TO ANY GND; STRUCTURES; OR PERSONS IF I DID INDEED VIOLATE MY PLANNED ALT. I AM A VERY CONSCIENTIOUS PLT WITH AN IMPECCABLE RECORD AND HAVE NO HABITS OR DISPOSITION OF DOING ANYTHING WILLFULLY UNSAFE OR IN VIOLATION OF RULES. AFTER SOME REFLECTION; I FELT IT PRUDENT TO FILE THIS RPT AS I WILL KEEP THIS EVENT IN MIND AND WILL TAKE A MORE CONSERVATIVE APCH TO ANY SIMILAR TYPE SIT IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROG.