Lack of required available oxygen.

Attributes
ACN	202640
Time
Date	199202
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rlg
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute : direct enroute airway : zdv
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 14 flight time total : 335 flight time type : 48
ASRS Report	202640
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

There were 3 airplanes full of people that were flying to eagle county airport to go skiing at beaver creek. We arrived at colorado spring airport about xxam local time. After adding fuel and checking the WX we believed we could make it to eagle county VFR. The other 2 aircraft took off as a flight of 2 and I went on my own. We flew up the eastern side of the rockies and crossed the first ridge about 25 mi south of denver, co. We were about 40 NM east of eagle county and flew under 1 cloud layer and found it to have strong downdrafts. I had 2 things on my mind and that was: get to eagle county so we could go skiing and get a clearance from denver center to go to eagle county. I decided this was not the way to go, so we climbed to 14000 ft AGL and contacted denver center to get an IFR clearance into eagle county. Center cleared me to 16000 ft AGL and direct to kremmling VOR. We were about 10 NM from kremmling when a passenger asked for an oxygen mask. With the excitement of the downdraft and getting a clearance from center I forgot to put an oxygen mask on. I told the passenger they were under their seat and would they give me one. The passenger replied their not here. During the preflight and putting the luggage on the plane I thought I had seen them under the seat on the plane. We were only a few mins from kremmling and I thought I would be cleared for the approach. Wrong, center had me in a holding pattern for 30 mins. The flight ended with no problems. Lucky for us. The judgements and decisions I made on this flight were in error. When we arrived at eagle county I started thinking about the flight and realized that if I were to make the same trip on my own I would have flown it differently. I let the judgement of the other pilots influence my decision. I believe the only rule I broke was not using the oxygen. If I would have discovered the oxygen mask missing earlier I would have returned to denver or colorado spring. The other aircraft had extra oxygen masks that I used for the return trip.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LACK OF REQUIRED AVAILABLE OXYGEN.

Narrative: THERE WERE 3 AIRPLANES FULL OF PEOPLE THAT WERE FLYING TO EAGLE COUNTY ARPT TO GO SKIING AT BEAVER CREEK. WE ARRIVED AT COLORADO SPRING ARPT ABOUT XXAM LCL TIME. AFTER ADDING FUEL AND CHKING THE WX WE BELIEVED WE COULD MAKE IT TO EAGLE COUNTY VFR. THE OTHER 2 ACFT TOOK OFF AS A FLT OF 2 AND I WENT ON MY OWN. WE FLEW UP THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE ROCKIES AND CROSSED THE FIRST RIDGE ABOUT 25 MI S OF DENVER, CO. WE WERE ABOUT 40 NM E OF EAGLE COUNTY AND FLEW UNDER 1 CLOUD LAYER AND FOUND IT TO HAVE STRONG DOWNDRAFTS. I HAD 2 THINGS ON MY MIND AND THAT WAS: GET TO EAGLE COUNTY SO WE COULD GO SKIING AND GET A CLRNC FROM DENVER CTR TO GO TO EAGLE COUNTY. I DECIDED THIS WAS NOT THE WAY TO GO, SO WE CLBED TO 14000 FT AGL AND CONTACTED DENVER CTR TO GET AN IFR CLRNC INTO EAGLE COUNTY. CTR CLRED ME TO 16000 FT AGL AND DIRECT TO KREMMLING VOR. WE WERE ABOUT 10 NM FROM KREMMLING WHEN A PAX ASKED FOR AN OXYGEN MASK. WITH THE EXCITEMENT OF THE DOWNDRAFT AND GETTING A CLRNC FROM CTR I FORGOT TO PUT AN OXYGEN MASK ON. I TOLD THE PAX THEY WERE UNDER THEIR SEAT AND WOULD THEY GIVE ME ONE. THE PAX REPLIED THEIR NOT HERE. DURING THE PREFLT AND PUTTING THE LUGGAGE ON THE PLANE I THOUGHT I HAD SEEN THEM UNDER THE SEAT ON THE PLANE. WE WERE ONLY A FEW MINS FROM KREMMLING AND I THOUGHT I WOULD BE CLRED FOR THE APCH. WRONG, CTR HAD ME IN A HOLDING PATTERN FOR 30 MINS. THE FLT ENDED WITH NO PROBLEMS. LUCKY FOR US. THE JUDGEMENTS AND DECISIONS I MADE ON THIS FLT WERE IN ERROR. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT EAGLE COUNTY I STARTED THINKING ABOUT THE FLT AND REALIZED THAT IF I WERE TO MAKE THE SAME TRIP ON MY OWN I WOULD HAVE FLOWN IT DIFFERENTLY. I LET THE JUDGEMENT OF THE OTHER PLTS INFLUENCE MY DECISION. I BELIEVE THE ONLY RULE I BROKE WAS NOT USING THE OXYGEN. IF I WOULD HAVE DISCOVERED THE OXYGEN MASK MISSING EARLIER I WOULD HAVE RETURNED TO DENVER OR COLORADO SPRING. THE OTHER ACFT HAD EXTRA OXYGEN MASKS THAT I USED FOR THE RETURN TRIP.

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.