Narrative:

I was flying with an experienced ATP pilot. He is the owner/operator of the aircraft. Before the flight he told me that he would fly the aircraft to our destination. I understood this to mean that he would be the PIC. In the climb out phase of flight I noticed that we were approaching the floor of the seattle terminal control area. I alerted the pilot to this fact and he responded that he was communicating with ATC. This, I believe is where the problem started. I later learned through talking to the pilot that he in fact had never contacted ATC and had only been communicating with bfi tower. In addition, the pilot seemed to have no idea that anything was wrong with his procedures. Approximately 30 mi north of bfi the pilot was told by ZSE that a near miss had occurred involving his aircraft and an airliner. The report was said to have originated by the airline crew. The pilot was then given a telephone number to call upon landing. The pilot then informed me that he was unsure of the state of his medical certificate and that he thought I might technically be the PIC. This is a classic breakdown in communication compounded by an old pilot that has only been flying heavy aircraft for a long time and was very unfamiliar with VFR procedures. To ensure that a situation like this does not arise again, I will be sure to check the credentials of anyone I fly with. Furthermore, I will be more active in assisting the PF even if they are far more experienced and familiar with the area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PENETRATES TCA. PLT HAS EXPIRED MEDICAL.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING WITH AN EXPERIENCED ATP PLT. HE IS THE OWNER/OPERATOR OF THE ACFT. BEFORE THE FLT HE TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD FLY THE ACFT TO OUR DEST. I UNDERSTOOD THIS TO MEAN THAT HE WOULD BE THE PIC. IN THE CLBOUT PHASE OF FLT I NOTICED THAT WE WERE APCHING THE FLOOR OF THE SEATTLE TERMINAL CTL AREA. I ALERTED THE PLT TO THIS FACT AND HE RESPONDED THAT HE WAS COMMUNICATING WITH ATC. THIS, I BELIEVE IS WHERE THE PROB STARTED. I LATER LEARNED THROUGH TALKING TO THE PLT THAT HE IN FACT HAD NEVER CONTACTED ATC AND HAD ONLY BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH BFI TWR. IN ADDITION, THE PLT SEEMED TO HAVE NO IDEA THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH HIS PROCS. APPROX 30 MI N OF BFI THE PLT WAS TOLD BY ZSE THAT A NEAR MISS HAD OCCURRED INVOLVING HIS ACFT AND AN AIRLINER. THE RPT WAS SAID TO HAVE ORIGINATED BY THE AIRLINE CREW. THE PLT WAS THEN GIVEN A TELEPHONE NUMBER TO CALL UPON LNDG. THE PLT THEN INFORMED ME THAT HE WAS UNSURE OF THE STATE OF HIS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE AND THAT HE THOUGHT I MIGHT TECHNICALLY BE THE PIC. THIS IS A CLASSIC BREAKDOWN IN COM COMPOUNDED BY AN OLD PLT THAT HAS ONLY BEEN FLYING HVY ACFT FOR A LONG TIME AND WAS VERY UNFAMILIAR WITH VFR PROCS. TO ENSURE THAT A SIT LIKE THIS DOES NOT ARISE AGAIN, I WILL BE SURE TO CHK THE CREDENTIALS OF ANYONE I FLY WITH. FURTHERMORE, I WILL BE MORE ACTIVE IN ASSISTING THE PF EVEN IF THEY ARE FAR MORE EXPERIENCED AND FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA.

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.