Narrative:

In the sfar airspace aircraft are restr to corridors and specific altitudes, airspds and courses. It is also extremely congested with many dissimilar types of aircraft and vastly different levels of crew experience. I was PIC of a part 135 aircraft doing a scenic tour of the grand canyon. I was following and overtaking 2 airline aircraft. I communicated my desire to pass the 2 aircraft at dragon bravo check point and did so without incident. As the 3 of us proceeded south in the dragon corridor, 1 aircraft asked if I wished to pass. I replied in the affirmative and asked which side he preferred I pass on. He indicated I was to pass on his right which I then did. I had been slightly behind and right at the beginning of the maneuver, level at 8500 MSL indicating 130 KTS. As I am somewhat new in the canyon and unfamiliar with the visual clues as to the extreme boundaries of the corridors, I resolved to stay as centered as safely practical. I estimated my lateral separation to be in excess of 500 ft and passed without incident. I felt passing the aircraft with whom I was communicating was a safe course of action in as much as he was flying at a greatly reduced airspeed so as to maximize his time over the more scenic portions of the route of flight. I felt for me to make a large power change over extremely unforgiving terrain would not be very wise. I would have had to decrease power from 26 inches to about 15 inches to slow as to follow my aircraft has been known to suffer from crankshaft failures and I attempt to be conservative when making any power changes. I feel that as long as this airlines continues to operate turbine pwred aircraft in a manner that is incompatible with piston single operators problems similar to mine will arise. There is a feeling in the canyon that they feel they own the canyon and the rest of us have to adapt to their way of doing business. Perhaps if they wish to fly at such different airspds, they could establish rtes that would not conflict with those operators of piston pwred equipment. In conclusion, inasmuch as the other captain felt I passed a little close or perhaps fast, we were in constant contact both visually and on the radio, we were both on a prescribed course and altitude and the maneuver was completed safely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ON SIGHTSEEING GRAND CANYON TOUR IN SINGLE ENG PROP PASSED LARGER, SLOWER ACFT -- BY MUTUAL CONSENT -- CAPT OF LARGER ACFT PROTESTED CLRNC MINS.

Narrative: IN THE SFAR AIRSPACE ACFT ARE RESTR TO CORRIDORS AND SPECIFIC ALTS, AIRSPDS AND COURSES. IT IS ALSO EXTREMELY CONGESTED WITH MANY DISSIMILAR TYPES OF ACFT AND VASTLY DIFFERENT LEVELS OF CREW EXPERIENCE. I WAS PIC OF A PART 135 ACFT DOING A SCENIC TOUR OF THE GRAND CANYON. I WAS FOLLOWING AND OVERTAKING 2 AIRLINE ACFT. I COMMUNICATED MY DESIRE TO PASS THE 2 ACFT AT DRAGON BRAVO CHK POINT AND DID SO WITHOUT INCIDENT. AS THE 3 OF US PROCEEDED S IN THE DRAGON CORRIDOR, 1 ACFT ASKED IF I WISHED TO PASS. I REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE AND ASKED WHICH SIDE HE PREFERRED I PASS ON. HE INDICATED I WAS TO PASS ON HIS R WHICH I THEN DID. I HAD BEEN SLIGHTLY BEHIND AND R AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MANEUVER, LEVEL AT 8500 MSL INDICATING 130 KTS. AS I AM SOMEWHAT NEW IN THE CANYON AND UNFAMILIAR WITH THE VISUAL CLUES AS TO THE EXTREME BOUNDARIES OF THE CORRIDORS, I RESOLVED TO STAY AS CENTERED AS SAFELY PRACTICAL. I ESTIMATED MY LATERAL SEPARATION TO BE IN EXCESS OF 500 FT AND PASSED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I FELT PASSING THE ACFT WITH WHOM I WAS COMMUNICATING WAS A SAFE COURSE OF ACTION IN AS MUCH AS HE WAS FLYING AT A GREATLY REDUCED AIRSPD SO AS TO MAXIMIZE HIS TIME OVER THE MORE SCENIC PORTIONS OF THE RTE OF FLT. I FELT FOR ME TO MAKE A LARGE PWR CHANGE OVER EXTREMELY UNFORGIVING TERRAIN WOULD NOT BE VERY WISE. I WOULD HAVE HAD TO DECREASE PWR FROM 26 INCHES TO ABOUT 15 INCHES TO SLOW AS TO FOLLOW MY ACFT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO SUFFER FROM CRANKSHAFT FAILURES AND I ATTEMPT TO BE CONSERVATIVE WHEN MAKING ANY PWR CHANGES. I FEEL THAT AS LONG AS THIS AIRLINES CONTINUES TO OPERATE TURBINE PWRED ACFT IN A MANNER THAT IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH PISTON SINGLE OPERATORS PROBLEMS SIMILAR TO MINE WILL ARISE. THERE IS A FEELING IN THE CANYON THAT THEY FEEL THEY OWN THE CANYON AND THE REST OF US HAVE TO ADAPT TO THEIR WAY OF DOING BUSINESS. PERHAPS IF THEY WISH TO FLY AT SUCH DIFFERENT AIRSPDS, THEY COULD ESTABLISH RTES THAT WOULD NOT CONFLICT WITH THOSE OPERATORS OF PISTON PWRED EQUIP. IN CONCLUSION, INASMUCH AS THE OTHER CAPT FELT I PASSED A LITTLE CLOSE OR PERHAPS FAST, WE WERE IN CONSTANT CONTACT BOTH VISUALLY AND ON THE RADIO, WE WERE BOTH ON A PRESCRIBED COURSE AND ALT AND THE MANEUVER WAS COMPLETED SAFELY.

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.