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Non adherence with legal requirements of published procedure and sfar 50-2 regarding grand canyon air tours. Pilot was reported as giving wrong altitudes versus as required and turning off the mode C capability of the transponder.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 112916 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198905 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : gcn |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 10500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zla |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport |
| Flight Phase | cruise other cruise other cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 852 flight time type : 205 |
| ASRS Report | 112916 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
This incident happened in may 1989. Flying air tours over the grand canyon, if the canyon was extremely turbulent, one particular captain would fly or tell the first officer to fly at higher altitudes than were laid out in the sfar 50-2 regulations. The captain would report, at the required reporting points an altitude that was more in line with the altitude specified in sfar 50-2, not the actual altitude. The higher altitudes were flown for passenger comfort and in most cases as an extra margin of safety as we were crossing at 90 degree angles, areas of the canyon rim that were known to have severe downdrafts. On one occasion during the flight the captain turned off the mode C altitude reporting on the the transponder. These incidents have been reported to the directed of operations and the captain has been suspended.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: NON ADHERENCE WITH LEGAL REQUIREMENTS OF PUBLISHED PROC AND SFAR 50-2 REGARDING GRAND CANYON AIR TOURS. PLT WAS REPORTED AS GIVING WRONG ALTS VERSUS AS REQUIRED AND TURNING OFF THE MODE C CAPABILITY OF THE TRANSPONDER.
Narrative: THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED IN MAY 1989. FLYING AIR TOURS OVER THE GRAND CANYON, IF THE CANYON WAS EXTREMELY TURBULENT, ONE PARTICULAR CAPT WOULD FLY OR TELL THE F/O TO FLY AT HIGHER ALTS THAN WERE LAID OUT IN THE SFAR 50-2 REGS. THE CAPT WOULD REPORT, AT THE REQUIRED REPORTING POINTS AN ALT THAT WAS MORE IN LINE WITH THE ALT SPECIFIED IN SFAR 50-2, NOT THE ACTUAL ALT. THE HIGHER ALTS WERE FLOWN FOR PAX COMFORT AND IN MOST CASES AS AN EXTRA MARGIN OF SAFETY AS WE WERE XING AT 90 DEG ANGLES, AREAS OF THE CANYON RIM THAT WERE KNOWN TO HAVE SEVERE DOWNDRAFTS. ON ONE OCCASION DURING THE FLT THE CAPT TURNED OFF THE MODE C ALT REPORTING ON THE THE TRANSPONDER. THESE INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO THE DIRECTED OF OPERATIONS AND THE CAPT HAS BEEN SUSPENDED.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.