Pilot of small aircraft atx carrying cargo out of bfi experiences what he believes to be a frozen th...

Attributes
ACN	136932
Time
Date	199002
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sea airport : bfi
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9500 msl bound upper : 9500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zse
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	136932
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated other
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : assigned or threatened penalties
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While leveling out to establish cruise flight, the left throttle was stuck and would not reduce from climb power to cruise power. The pilot radioed the company to see if the company wanted the pilot to continue to the destination (ykm) or to return to the departure point (bfi). The company asked the pilot to return to bfi to change planes. On short final to bfi, the throttle cable 'unstuck,' confirming the pilot's suspicion that the cable was frozen. (The temperature at cruise was -26C.) the pilot radioed the company from the bfi ramp to advise that the problem was solved. The company told the pilot to takeoff and go to ykm if comfortable. The pilot did so. Upon arrival in ykm, the pilot had telephone messages waiting. The company advised that the FAA was upset because the pilot had taken off west/O writing up a discrepancy report and west/O an inspection by a qualified maintenance person. The company advised a telephone discussion with the director of maintenance. The pilot called the director of maintenance by telephone. The director of maintenance grounded airplane until the throttle cable could be serviced. An aircraft discrepancy report and resolution were duly completed. The cable was soon serviced and the pilot continued flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ATX CARRYING CARGO OUT OF BFI EXPERIENCES WHAT HE BELIEVES TO BE A FROZEN THROTTLE CABLE DURING LEVEL OFF AT CRUISE ALT. HE RETURNS TO LAND AND THE PROBLEM DISAPPEARS, SO HE DEPARTS ONLY TO FIND THE FAA AFTER HIM FOR FAILING TO WRITE UP A MECHANICAL DISCREPANCY.

Narrative: WHILE LEVELING OUT TO ESTABLISH CRUISE FLT, THE L THROTTLE WAS STUCK AND WOULD NOT REDUCE FROM CLB PWR TO CRUISE PWR. THE PLT RADIOED THE COMPANY TO SEE IF THE COMPANY WANTED THE PLT TO CONTINUE TO THE DEST (YKM) OR TO RETURN TO THE DEP POINT (BFI). THE COMPANY ASKED THE PLT TO RETURN TO BFI TO CHANGE PLANES. ON SHORT FINAL TO BFI, THE THROTTLE CABLE 'UNSTUCK,' CONFIRMING THE PLT'S SUSPICION THAT THE CABLE WAS FROZEN. (THE TEMP AT CRUISE WAS -26C.) THE PLT RADIOED THE COMPANY FROM THE BFI RAMP TO ADVISE THAT THE PROB WAS SOLVED. THE COMPANY TOLD THE PLT TO TKOF AND GO TO YKM IF COMFORTABLE. THE PLT DID SO. UPON ARR IN YKM, THE PLT HAD TELEPHONE MESSAGES WAITING. THE COMPANY ADVISED THAT THE FAA WAS UPSET BECAUSE THE PLT HAD TAKEN OFF W/O WRITING UP A DISCREPANCY RPT AND W/O AN INSPECTION BY A QUALIFIED MAINT PERSON. THE COMPANY ADVISED A TELEPHONE DISCUSSION WITH THE DIRECTOR OF MAINT. THE PLT CALLED THE DIRECTOR OF MAINT BY TELEPHONE. THE DIRECTOR OF MAINT GNDED AIRPLANE UNTIL THE THROTTLE CABLE COULD BE SERVICED. AN ACFT DISCREPANCY RPT AND RESOLUTION WERE DULY COMPLETED. THE CABLE WAS SOON SERVICED AND THE PLT CONTINUED FLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.

Pilot of small aircraft atx carrying cargo out of bfi experiences what he believes to be a frozen throttle cable during level off at cruise altitude. He returns to land and the problem disappears, so he departs only to find the FAA after him for failing to write up a mechanical discrepancy.