Low altitude civil flight caused by unruly passenger.

Attributes
ACN	296865
Time
Date	199502
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vrb
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 600 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 600 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	296865
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Thursday, an elderly gentleman came to our FBO and asked if he could be taken on a sight-seeing flight to look at the new disney site northeast of vero beach. My boss asked me if I would take him and I did. Before we got to our assigned airplane, he said that he was a certified pilot and that he would do most of the flying. Since I am a CFI I had no problem with this. He also announced that we were going to reach our destination at an altitude of 200 ft AGL. I insisted that we were going to go no lower than 1000 ft which in turn made him very belligerent. At which point he called me same and would not release controls of the airplane. I was quite a bit larger than he was and was able to fend off the elbows he was throwing. I regained control of the aircraft no lower than 600 ft over the disney site. I landed the airplane and settled the matter on the ground at vero beach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW ALT CIVIL FLT CAUSED BY UNRULY PAX.

Narrative: THURSDAY, AN ELDERLY GENTLEMAN CAME TO OUR FBO AND ASKED IF HE COULD BE TAKEN ON A SIGHT-SEEING FLT TO LOOK AT THE NEW DISNEY SITE NE OF VERO BEACH. MY BOSS ASKED ME IF I WOULD TAKE HIM AND I DID. BEFORE WE GOT TO OUR ASSIGNED AIRPLANE, HE SAID THAT HE WAS A CERTIFIED PLT AND THAT HE WOULD DO MOST OF THE FLYING. SINCE I AM A CFI I HAD NO PROB WITH THIS. HE ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT WE WERE GOING TO REACH OUR DEST AT AN ALT OF 200 FT AGL. I INSISTED THAT WE WERE GOING TO GO NO LOWER THAN 1000 FT WHICH IN TURN MADE HIM VERY BELLIGERENT. AT WHICH POINT HE CALLED ME SAME AND WOULD NOT RELEASE CTLS OF THE AIRPLANE. I WAS QUITE A BIT LARGER THAN HE WAS AND WAS ABLE TO FEND OFF THE ELBOWS HE WAS THROWING. I REGAINED CTL OF THE ACFT NO LOWER THAN 600 FT OVER THE DISNEY SITE. I LANDED THE AIRPLANE AND SETTLED THE MATTER ON THE GND AT VERO BEACH.

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.