Narrative:

I wish to express my concern about the competency of a 69 year old pilot mr X. March/1989 xa am I received a call at my home from a controller at kona tower inquiring who was the PIC of small aircraft that departed that morning. Mr X (PIC) and mr Y (copilot). Controller and I listened to the tower tapes to find out more about the incident with flight inbound for landing to kona and cap small aircraft departing from kona en route to hnl that morning. Initially controller told me that the 2 aircraft were close, but not enough to file a near miss report. Small aircraft was off tower frequency shortly after leaving the pattern and within approximately 2-3 miles from the airport. The tower made many attempts to contact, but was not able to warn small aircraft of the inbound air carrier in the opposite direction. The pilot did see the small aircraft and put on lights to make a higher visibility for the small aircraft that seemed not to respond to the conflicting flight paths. The PIC of air carrier after taxiing to the ramp called the tower and questioned why was that small aircraft not responding to the traffic and in that airspace. May/89 (approximately) mr X (PIC), mr Y (copilot) inbound for hnl cleared by ATC for a left base to runway 4L. Small aircraft crossed over the approach end of 4L and landed 4R. The controller informed small aircraft that they had landed on the wrong runway and mr X argued with the controller that he had not landed on the wrong runway. Copilot mr Y confirmed to mr X that the tower had in fact cleared him for 4L. Mr X (PIC) and cfii mr Z (copilot) inbound for landing molokai airport cleared to land runway 5. Mr X initiated an approach to runway 35 and was unaware until mr Z informed him he was not cleared to land on runway 35. Mr Z was warned by chief pilot to keep an eye on the pilot, mr X, that he was not a safe pilot and has some problems with his flying ability. Mr Z also told me that the mr's flight expertise is equal to a student pilot on his 2ND solo flight and does not have some of the basic safe flight techniques generally learned in the early stages of flight training and that he is a dangerous individual in an airplane as PIC. He further stated his landing flare is consistently initiated much too high and could get him into trouble some day when encountering a crosswind landing that he is not set up properly. Please take appropriate action to prevent what could be a deadly accident in the future. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states he almost lost his position and membership in the squadron as a result of his letter. The incompetent officer involved is a vicious man. However, 3 or 4 others also wrote letters and the man is now on a training status in the squadron. Reporter does not know what action FAA will take. Felt some action necessary when so many instances of poor ability were brought to his attention from so many different aspects.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LETTER TO LCL FSDO REGARDING PLT INCOMPETENCY AND CITING OF SEVERAL INCIDENTS TO CORROBORATE.

Narrative: I WISH TO EXPRESS MY CONCERN ABOUT THE COMPETENCY OF A 69 YEAR OLD PLT MR X. MARCH/1989 XA AM I RECEIVED A CALL AT MY HOME FROM A CTLR AT KONA TWR INQUIRING WHO WAS THE PIC OF SMA THAT DEPARTED THAT MORNING. MR X (PIC) AND MR Y (COPLT). CTLR AND I LISTENED TO THE TWR TAPES TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE INCIDENT WITH FLT INBND FOR LNDG TO KONA AND CAP SMA DEPARTING FROM KONA ENRTE TO HNL THAT MORNING. INITIALLY CTLR TOLD ME THAT THE 2 ACFT WERE CLOSE, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO FILE A NEAR MISS REPORT. SMA WAS OFF TWR FREQ SHORTLY AFTER LEAVING THE PATTERN AND WITHIN APPROX 2-3 MILES FROM THE ARPT. THE TWR MADE MANY ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO WARN SMA OF THE INBND ACR IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THE PLT DID SEE THE SMA AND PUT ON LIGHTS TO MAKE A HIGHER VISIBILITY FOR THE SMA THAT SEEMED NOT TO RESPOND TO THE CONFLICTING FLT PATHS. THE PIC OF ACR AFTER TAXIING TO THE RAMP CALLED THE TWR AND QUESTIONED WHY WAS THAT SMA NOT RESPONDING TO THE TFC AND IN THAT AIRSPACE. MAY/89 (APPROX) MR X (PIC), MR Y (COPLT) INBND FOR HNL CLRED BY ATC FOR A LEFT BASE TO RWY 4L. SMA CROSSED OVER THE APCH END OF 4L AND LANDED 4R. THE CTLR INFORMED SMA THAT THEY HAD LANDED ON THE WRONG RWY AND MR X ARGUED WITH THE CTLR THAT HE HAD NOT LANDED ON THE WRONG RWY. COPLT MR Y CONFIRMED TO MR X THAT THE TWR HAD IN FACT CLRED HIM FOR 4L. MR X (PIC) AND CFII MR Z (COPLT) INBND FOR LNDG MOLOKAI ARPT CLRED TO LAND RWY 5. MR X INITIATED AN APCH TO RWY 35 AND WAS UNAWARE UNTIL MR Z INFORMED HIM HE WAS NOT CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 35. MR Z WAS WARNED BY CHIEF PLT TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE PLT, MR X, THAT HE WAS NOT A SAFE PLT AND HAS SOME PROBLEMS WITH HIS FLYING ABILITY. MR Z ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE MR'S FLT EXPERTISE IS EQUAL TO A STUDENT PLT ON HIS 2ND SOLO FLT AND DOES NOT HAVE SOME OF THE BASIC SAFE FLT TECHNIQUES GENERALLY LEARNED IN THE EARLY STAGES OF FLT TRAINING AND THAT HE IS A DANGEROUS INDIVIDUAL IN AN AIRPLANE AS PIC. HE FURTHER STATED HIS LNDG FLARE IS CONSISTENTLY INITIATED MUCH TOO HIGH AND COULD GET HIM INTO TROUBLE SOME DAY WHEN ENCOUNTERING A XWIND LNDG THAT HE IS NOT SET UP PROPERLY. PLEASE TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO PREVENT WHAT COULD BE A DEADLY ACCIDENT IN THE FUTURE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER STATES HE ALMOST LOST HIS POSITION AND MEMBERSHIP IN THE SQUADRON AS A RESULT OF HIS LETTER. THE INCOMPETENT OFFICER INVOLVED IS A VICIOUS MAN. HOWEVER, 3 OR 4 OTHERS ALSO WROTE LETTERS AND THE MAN IS NOW ON A TRAINING STATUS IN THE SQUADRON. REPORTER DOES NOT KNOW WHAT ACTION FAA WILL TAKE. FELT SOME ACTION NECESSARY WHEN SO MANY INSTANCES OF POOR ABILITY WERE BROUGHT TO HIS ATTN FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT ASPECTS.

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.