Narrative:

Colby, ks is the first stop of a federal reserve route that my company operates on a daily basis. The schedule to make deadlines is extremely tight and turnaround time at each stop is therefore limited to a matter of minutes. On this particular evening I taxied in to find an army guard small transport X and small transport Y helicopters parked where I stop to pick up my load. Because of this I parked as close to the small transport X as I safely could to be near the freight load point and make a fast turnaround. An small transport Z landed and taxied in right after me. After I shut down the airport manager approached and asked if I would be long. I said that I expected a quick turnaround. With that he left. Right after that my courier came up and informed me that one of the bank mail routes was delayed. When I reminded him of the tight schedule he went to see how long he could delay the plane. The airport manager returned while I was waiting and informed me that I had to move. A state official who had arrived in the small transport Z was to depart in one of the helicopters. They could not do so with me parked where I was. I agreed thinking I could simply pull ahead (with a slight turn to the right) then turn around to my left and stop. I looked around and saw no one near my aircraft so I presumed the airport manager had advised everyone around, that I was repositioning my aircraft. I started engines, added power, taxied ahead and turned around. Once I had made the turn I saw that I was still too close to the small transport X (for them to depart) so I again added power and taxied out between the official party and the small transport X to another part of the ramp and clear of the helicopters. Shortly after shutting down a man approached and introduced himself as the official's pilot and state trooper. I was not shown any identification. He asked what that 'turnaround stunt' was and immediately accused me of 'hot dogging' and scaring people on the ramp. I was dumbfounded and just looked at him unable to respond. He said that if I wanted 'to play this game' we could go through wichita FSDO. He asked to see my pilot's license. When I got it out he reached for it. I pulled it back saying that he could look at it but that I would not relinquish it. This upset him. We discussed the situation. I said that I simply moved my airplane because the manager told me to. I denied 'hot dogging'. I stated that I always operate safely. If anyone was scared I was sorry for that but I observed those around me and felt that I had not created a hazard to anyone. This individual continued to accuse me of hot dogging and I continued to deny it. He left and came back a short time later with a uniformed state trooper. They took information from my certificate and drivers license. Again we went through them wanting to take ahold of my certificate while I refused to relinquish it. I said they were welcome to look at it though. I commented at this time that what they thought was hot dogging was the turnaround to park and decision to relocate (as described above) to my present spot. I also reemphasized that I never intend to scare anyone at any time and that I consider myself a safe pilot. I was left with the understanding that a report was going to be made with the FAA. In retrospect, I could have parked where I ended up and thereby avoided this confrontation. Since I didn't do that I should have specifically asked the airport manager to advise everyone on the ramp that I was moving. Finally, I could have refused to move until the ramp was clear. Bottom line, don't ever take for granted that people on the ramp will stand clear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT ACCUSED OF CARELESS OPERATION ON RAMP IN PROX OF PEOPLE AND OTHER ACFT.

Narrative: COLBY, KS IS THE FIRST STOP OF A FEDERAL RESERVE ROUTE THAT MY COMPANY OPERATES ON A DAILY BASIS. THE SCHEDULE TO MAKE DEADLINES IS EXTREMELY TIGHT AND TURNAROUND TIME AT EACH STOP IS THEREFORE LIMITED TO A MATTER OF MINUTES. ON THIS PARTICULAR EVENING I TAXIED IN TO FIND AN ARMY GUARD SMT X AND SMT Y HELICOPTERS PARKED WHERE I STOP TO PICK UP MY LOAD. BECAUSE OF THIS I PARKED AS CLOSE TO THE SMT X AS I SAFELY COULD TO BE NEAR THE FREIGHT LOAD POINT AND MAKE A FAST TURNAROUND. AN SMT Z LANDED AND TAXIED IN RIGHT AFTER ME. AFTER I SHUT DOWN THE ARPT MGR APCHED AND ASKED IF I WOULD BE LONG. I SAID THAT I EXPECTED A QUICK TURNAROUND. WITH THAT HE LEFT. RIGHT AFTER THAT MY COURIER CAME UP AND INFORMED ME THAT ONE OF THE BANK MAIL ROUTES WAS DELAYED. WHEN I REMINDED HIM OF THE TIGHT SCHEDULE HE WENT TO SEE HOW LONG HE COULD DELAY THE PLANE. THE ARPT MGR RETURNED WHILE I WAS WAITING AND INFORMED ME THAT I HAD TO MOVE. A STATE OFFICIAL WHO HAD ARRIVED IN THE SMT Z WAS TO DEPART IN ONE OF THE HELICOPTERS. THEY COULD NOT DO SO WITH ME PARKED WHERE I WAS. I AGREED THINKING I COULD SIMPLY PULL AHEAD (WITH A SLIGHT TURN TO THE RIGHT) THEN TURN AROUND TO MY LEFT AND STOP. I LOOKED AROUND AND SAW NO ONE NEAR MY ACFT SO I PRESUMED THE ARPT MGR HAD ADVISED EVERYONE AROUND, THAT I WAS REPOSITIONING MY ACFT. I STARTED ENGINES, ADDED POWER, TAXIED AHEAD AND TURNED AROUND. ONCE I HAD MADE THE TURN I SAW THAT I WAS STILL TOO CLOSE TO THE SMT X (FOR THEM TO DEPART) SO I AGAIN ADDED POWER AND TAXIED OUT BETWEEN THE OFFICIAL PARTY AND THE SMT X TO ANOTHER PART OF THE RAMP AND CLEAR OF THE HELICOPTERS. SHORTLY AFTER SHUTTING DOWN A MAN APCHED AND INTRODUCED HIMSELF AS THE OFFICIAL'S PLT AND STATE TROOPER. I WAS NOT SHOWN ANY ID. HE ASKED WHAT THAT 'TURNAROUND STUNT' WAS AND IMMEDIATELY ACCUSED ME OF 'HOT DOGGING' AND SCARING PEOPLE ON THE RAMP. I WAS DUMBFOUNDED AND JUST LOOKED AT HIM UNABLE TO RESPOND. HE SAID THAT IF I WANTED 'TO PLAY THIS GAME' WE COULD GO THROUGH WICHITA FSDO. HE ASKED TO SEE MY PLT'S LICENSE. WHEN I GOT IT OUT HE REACHED FOR IT. I PULLED IT BACK SAYING THAT HE COULD LOOK AT IT BUT THAT I WOULD NOT RELINQUISH IT. THIS UPSET HIM. WE DISCUSSED THE SITUATION. I SAID THAT I SIMPLY MOVED MY AIRPLANE BECAUSE THE MGR TOLD ME TO. I DENIED 'HOT DOGGING'. I STATED THAT I ALWAYS OPERATE SAFELY. IF ANYONE WAS SCARED I WAS SORRY FOR THAT BUT I OBSERVED THOSE AROUND ME AND FELT THAT I HAD NOT CREATED A HAZARD TO ANYONE. THIS INDIVIDUAL CONTINUED TO ACCUSE ME OF HOT DOGGING AND I CONTINUED TO DENY IT. HE LEFT AND CAME BACK A SHORT TIME LATER WITH A UNIFORMED STATE TROOPER. THEY TOOK INFO FROM MY CERTIFICATE AND DRIVERS LICENSE. AGAIN WE WENT THROUGH THEM WANTING TO TAKE AHOLD OF MY CERTIFICATE WHILE I REFUSED TO RELINQUISH IT. I SAID THEY WERE WELCOME TO LOOK AT IT THOUGH. I COMMENTED AT THIS TIME THAT WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS HOT DOGGING WAS THE TURNAROUND TO PARK AND DECISION TO RELOCATE (AS DESCRIBED ABOVE) TO MY PRESENT SPOT. I ALSO REEMPHASIZED THAT I NEVER INTEND TO SCARE ANYONE AT ANY TIME AND THAT I CONSIDER MYSELF A SAFE PLT. I WAS LEFT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT A REPORT WAS GOING TO BE MADE WITH THE FAA. IN RETROSPECT, I COULD HAVE PARKED WHERE I ENDED UP AND THEREBY AVOIDED THIS CONFRONTATION. SINCE I DIDN'T DO THAT I SHOULD HAVE SPECIFICALLY ASKED THE ARPT MGR TO ADVISE EVERYONE ON THE RAMP THAT I WAS MOVING. FINALLY, I COULD HAVE REFUSED TO MOVE UNTIL THE RAMP WAS CLEAR. BOTTOM LINE, DON'T EVER TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT PEOPLE ON THE RAMP WILL STAND CLEAR.

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.