Flight crew of small transport fails to contact center before departing from previous IFR release an...

Attributes
ACN	124664
Time
Date	198910
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zse airport : wa48 airport : 63s
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 20150
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse tower : apa
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other descent other
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 1900 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	124664
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	124973
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I filed a flight plan from colville to hio. I called spokane flight service and received an IFR departure clearance with a void time of xy+05 local. We departed colville and immediately encountered moderate and occasionally severe turbulence as was reported to us from flight service. Within 1 min off colville we had a passenger become very sick due to the mod turbulence. As we had departed colville which is a 2400' runway and the airplane being too heavy to return to colville we chose to land in republic which is only 9 mins from colville and is where this passenger lived anyway. Since we had not been able to pick up seattle center before our void time I attempted to contact center off republic climbing out in VFR clear conditions and heard center talking to another airplane trying to make contact with us. We made contact with center on 126.1 and he advised us he had been looking for us and had wondered what had happened. We explained the situation of having the sick passenger and he gave us a clearance to hillsboro still while in VFR conditions and he also said he had seen us come upon radar and then lost us. That was interesting to me as we had never turned our transponder to the proper code given us with the clearance that had been voided. We are having the transponder checked in avionics shop as we are concerned if it is giving us an improper reading. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that they did not get off in time to meet the void time at colville. The text of the CFI stated that they were off on the hour, in time for the IFR. When reporter talked to center they acted like they were expecting them and used the previous clearance as though they had made the void time. Whole situation is ambiguous and the transponder status is still not known.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF SMT FAILS TO CONTACT CENTER BEFORE DEPARTING FROM PREVIOUS IFR RELEASE AND LANDS AT AN INTERMEDIATE ARPT TO DROP OFF PASSENGER. FSS NOT KEPT INFORMED OF ACTIONS FOR A RELAY TO CENTER. AFTER SECOND DEP EXPERIENCES AN ALT DEVIATION ON CLIMB OUT.

Narrative: I FILED A FLT PLAN FROM COLVILLE TO HIO. I CALLED SPOKANE FLT SERVICE AND RECEIVED AN IFR DEP CLRNC WITH A VOID TIME OF XY+05 LOCAL. WE DEPARTED COLVILLE AND IMMEDIATELY ENCOUNTERED MODERATE AND OCCASIONALLY SEVERE TURBULENCE AS WAS REPORTED TO US FROM FLT SERVICE. WITHIN 1 MIN OFF COLVILLE WE HAD A PAX BECOME VERY SICK DUE TO THE MOD TURBULENCE. AS WE HAD DEPARTED COLVILLE WHICH IS A 2400' RWY AND THE AIRPLANE BEING TOO HEAVY TO RETURN TO COLVILLE WE CHOSE TO LAND IN REPUBLIC WHICH IS ONLY 9 MINS FROM COLVILLE AND IS WHERE THIS PAX LIVED ANYWAY. SINCE WE HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO PICK UP SEATTLE CENTER BEFORE OUR VOID TIME I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT CENTER OFF REPUBLIC CLIMBING OUT IN VFR CLEAR CONDITIONS AND HEARD CENTER TALKING TO ANOTHER AIRPLANE TRYING TO MAKE CONTACT WITH US. WE MADE CONTACT WITH CENTER ON 126.1 AND HE ADVISED US HE HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR US AND HAD WONDERED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. WE EXPLAINED THE SITUATION OF HAVING THE SICK PAX AND HE GAVE US A CLRNC TO HILLSBORO STILL WHILE IN VFR CONDITIONS AND HE ALSO SAID HE HAD SEEN US COME UPON RADAR AND THEN LOST US. THAT WAS INTERESTING TO ME AS WE HAD NEVER TURNED OUR XPONDER TO THE PROPER CODE GIVEN US WITH THE CLRNC THAT HAD BEEN VOIDED. WE ARE HAVING THE XPONDER CHECKED IN AVIONICS SHOP AS WE ARE CONCERNED IF IT IS GIVING US AN IMPROPER READING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER STATED THAT THEY DID NOT GET OFF IN TIME TO MEET THE VOID TIME AT COLVILLE. THE TEXT OF THE CFI STATED THAT THEY WERE OFF ON THE HOUR, IN TIME FOR THE IFR. WHEN REPORTER TALKED TO CENTER THEY ACTED LIKE THEY WERE EXPECTING THEM AND USED THE PREVIOUS CLRNC AS THOUGH THEY HAD MADE THE VOID TIME. WHOLE SITUATION IS AMBIGUOUS AND THE XPONDER STATUS IS STILL NOT KNOWN.

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.

Flight crew of small transport fails to contact center before departing from previous IFR release and lands at an intermediate airport to drop off passenger. FSS not kept informed of actions for a relay to center. After second departure experiences an altitude deviation on climb out.