Air ambulance has transponder inoperative. Grounds the flight.

Attributes
ACN	290712
Time
Date	199412
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : alb
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dca
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 2200 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	290712
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I am sending this form in hope that this may someday become an unheard of situation for pilots to be confronted with. I am a pilot for an air ambulance company 'lifeguard' type of transports. On this particular day we took off from our home base airport on a lifeguard flight to an airport within the 'busy' northeast airspace. The only thing on this trip was that the transponder was inoperative (unknowing of this from the beginning). Without any incident or conflict we completed the first leg of this day-long trip. After reaching our first destination, I contacted the company dispatch, informed them of the inoperative equipment and they then sent another aircraft to complete the rest of the trip. This is where the conflict begins. The company director of operations arrived and instructed me to complete the remainder of the trip without the transponder. I was told that we (pilots) are expected to fly these airplanes with some things not working all the time. This particular aircraft has no MEL. The WX was totally IFR everywhere, and I was expected to complete this trip without question. This 'get the job done' mentality is crazy. Pilots are afraid, for fear of losing their jobs, that if they don't fly airplanes with equipment not working, some other pilot will. I have been told time and time again that the trip must get done. I'm under the opinion that flying airplanes IFR on bad WX days without a transponder is dangerous and stupid, not to mention against regulations. I am a firm believer that getting the job done is important, but sometimes pilots need to draw the line. On this particular day, the director of operations finished the trip and I flew the airplane to an airport with an avionics shop to have it fixed. Time and time again, I've seen pilots fly marginal equipment because they are afraid to upset owners who complain airplanes are too expensive to fix. Well, I think they can't afford not to fix them. This 'get the job done' attitude of owners and management has got to end and the only way I see this happening is through pilots standing up for what they know is right, together.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR AMBULANCE HAS XPONDER INOP. GNDS THE FLT.

Narrative: I AM SENDING THIS FORM IN HOPE THAT THIS MAY SOMEDAY BECOME AN UNHEARD OF SIT FOR PLTS TO BE CONFRONTED WITH. I AM A PLT FOR AN AIR AMBULANCE COMPANY 'LIFEGUARD' TYPE OF TRANSPORTS. ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY WE TOOK OFF FROM OUR HOME BASE ARPT ON A LIFEGUARD FLT TO AN ARPT WITHIN THE 'BUSY' NE AIRSPACE. THE ONLY THING ON THIS TRIP WAS THAT THE XPONDER WAS INOP (UNKNOWING OF THIS FROM THE BEGINNING). WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT OR CONFLICT WE COMPLETED THE FIRST LEG OF THIS DAY-LONG TRIP. AFTER REACHING OUR FIRST DEST, I CONTACTED THE COMPANY DISPATCH, INFORMED THEM OF THE INOP EQUIP AND THEY THEN SENT ANOTHER ACFT TO COMPLETE THE REST OF THE TRIP. THIS IS WHERE THE CONFLICT BEGINS. THE COMPANY DIRECTOR OF OPS ARRIVED AND INSTRUCTED ME TO COMPLETE THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP WITHOUT THE XPONDER. I WAS TOLD THAT WE (PLTS) ARE EXPECTED TO FLY THESE AIRPLANES WITH SOME THINGS NOT WORKING ALL THE TIME. THIS PARTICULAR ACFT HAS NO MEL. THE WX WAS TOTALLY IFR EVERYWHERE, AND I WAS EXPECTED TO COMPLETE THIS TRIP WITHOUT QUESTION. THIS 'GET THE JOB DONE' MENTALITY IS CRAZY. PLTS ARE AFRAID, FOR FEAR OF LOSING THEIR JOBS, THAT IF THEY DON'T FLY AIRPLANES WITH EQUIP NOT WORKING, SOME OTHER PLT WILL. I HAVE BEEN TOLD TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT THE TRIP MUST GET DONE. I'M UNDER THE OPINION THAT FLYING AIRPLANES IFR ON BAD WX DAYS WITHOUT A XPONDER IS DANGEROUS AND STUPID, NOT TO MENTION AGAINST REGS. I AM A FIRM BELIEVER THAT GETTING THE JOB DONE IS IMPORTANT, BUT SOMETIMES PLTS NEED TO DRAW THE LINE. ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY, THE DIRECTOR OF OPS FINISHED THE TRIP AND I FLEW THE AIRPLANE TO AN ARPT WITH AN AVIONICS SHOP TO HAVE IT FIXED. TIME AND TIME AGAIN, I'VE SEEN PLTS FLY MARGINAL EQUIP BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID TO UPSET OWNERS WHO COMPLAIN AIRPLANES ARE TOO EXPENSIVE TO FIX. WELL, I THINK THEY CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO FIX THEM. THIS 'GET THE JOB DONE' ATTITUDE OF OWNERS AND MGMNT HAS GOT TO END AND THE ONLY WAY I SEE THIS HAPPENING IS THROUGH PLTS STANDING UP FOR WHAT THEY KNOW IS RIGHT, TOGETHER.

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.