Narrative:

Our trip was that of any 135 operator, with no exception but one. It was a trip to the northeast, WX to near minimums on 3 of the 5 legs, snow falling heavy on frequent occasion and each leg a maximum of 200 mi, all within the northeast sector (each leg within 100 NM of, or crossing over, new york city), and no autoplt. The tension was high all day and as usual, captain and first officer switched seats every other leg. This is normal to gain experience for first officer's. Today was an unusually heavy workload, we paced through it very smoothly well ahead of the airplane and beyond the next stop. Our last leg from teb to leb leaves a lasting impression on me. It is dark now and we are 3 mi from the airport, lousy WX, MSA shows 5100 ft on the chart and approach calls the airport 12 O'clock, 'cleared for the visual when in sight.' not a chance! We're IMC and I ask for a vector to the ILS, 'ok' approach says, 'cleared for the full ILS.' I'd like to step off this ride about now, my fun meter has been pegged! 2 yrs ago a lear 35 was lost and never was found. I later came to learn after shooting the approach! We were well prepared for the full ILS as I have great positional awareness and am not intimidated by approach plates. So much fun, I think I would like to take the next leg. As I was sitting right seat and the captain was in paying for fuel, I prepared the V speeds, clearance for the captain and took a seat left side, captain now is first officer. No problem. As we taxi out, I ask for appropriate checklists and at this point are actually delaying the taxi from the ramp knowing that we are exhausted flying an airplane that is not working with us in WX that is miserable, with snow and minimum visibility, and the high pace of ZNY working you, our last leg on a day that has had no end. We call our position on the field, announce runway taxiing to, position runway, departing to southwest, altitude -- the usual callouts. Out of 6000 ft, we called ZBW and again the usual call -- with one exception! Center says, 'hi and leb tower would like to say goodbye -- in person!' captain is 2 inches tall and I am writing NASA. They were very understanding only because no one in their right mind was in the air that day and there were no close calls. In the flurry of cockpit duties, I was so far ahead that I switched out leb tower frequencys with teb frequencys -- not good. Were lucky and the rest is history. Exhaustion is no excuse, only a reason to slow down and regroup. The alternative is not pleasant and far too quiet for us all.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CHARTER TWIN JET TAKES OFF FROM LEB ARPT WITHOUT BENEFIT OF A TKOF CLRNC OR EVEN CONTACTING THE TWR.

Narrative: OUR TRIP WAS THAT OF ANY 135 OPERATOR, WITH NO EXCEPTION BUT ONE. IT WAS A TRIP TO THE NE, WX TO NEAR MINIMUMS ON 3 OF THE 5 LEGS, SNOW FALLING HVY ON FREQUENT OCCASION AND EACH LEG A MAX OF 200 MI, ALL WITHIN THE NE SECTOR (EACH LEG WITHIN 100 NM OF, OR XING OVER, NEW YORK CITY), AND NO AUTOPLT. THE TENSION WAS HIGH ALL DAY AND AS USUAL, CAPT AND FO SWITCHED SEATS EVERY OTHER LEG. THIS IS NORMAL TO GAIN EXPERIENCE FOR FO'S. TODAY WAS AN UNUSUALLY HVY WORKLOAD, WE PACED THROUGH IT VERY SMOOTHLY WELL AHEAD OF THE AIRPLANE AND BEYOND THE NEXT STOP. OUR LAST LEG FROM TEB TO LEB LEAVES A LASTING IMPRESSION ON ME. IT IS DARK NOW AND WE ARE 3 MI FROM THE ARPT, LOUSY WX, MSA SHOWS 5100 FT ON THE CHART AND APCH CALLS THE ARPT 12 O'CLOCK, 'CLRED FOR THE VISUAL WHEN IN SIGHT.' NOT A CHANCE! WE'RE IMC AND I ASK FOR A VECTOR TO THE ILS, 'OK' APCH SAYS, 'CLRED FOR THE FULL ILS.' I'D LIKE TO STEP OFF THIS RIDE ABOUT NOW, MY FUN METER HAS BEEN PEGGED! 2 YRS AGO A LEAR 35 WAS LOST AND NEVER WAS FOUND. I LATER CAME TO LEARN AFTER SHOOTING THE APCH! WE WERE WELL PREPARED FOR THE FULL ILS AS I HAVE GREAT POSITIONAL AWARENESS AND AM NOT INTIMIDATED BY APCH PLATES. SO MUCH FUN, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE NEXT LEG. AS I WAS SITTING R SEAT AND THE CAPT WAS IN PAYING FOR FUEL, I PREPARED THE V SPDS, CLRNC FOR THE CAPT AND TOOK A SEAT L SIDE, CAPT NOW IS FO. NO PROB. AS WE TAXI OUT, I ASK FOR APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS AND AT THIS POINT ARE ACTUALLY DELAYING THE TAXI FROM THE RAMP KNOWING THAT WE ARE EXHAUSTED FLYING AN AIRPLANE THAT IS NOT WORKING WITH US IN WX THAT IS MISERABLE, WITH SNOW AND MINIMUM VISIBILITY, AND THE HIGH PACE OF ZNY WORKING YOU, OUR LAST LEG ON A DAY THAT HAS HAD NO END. WE CALL OUR POS ON THE FIELD, ANNOUNCE RWY TAXIING TO, POS RWY, DEPARTING TO SW, ALT -- THE USUAL CALLOUTS. OUT OF 6000 FT, WE CALLED ZBW AND AGAIN THE USUAL CALL -- WITH ONE EXCEPTION! CTR SAYS, 'HI AND LEB TWR WOULD LIKE TO SAY GOODBYE -- IN PERSON!' CAPT IS 2 INCHES TALL AND I AM WRITING NASA. THEY WERE VERY UNDERSTANDING ONLY BECAUSE NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WAS IN THE AIR THAT DAY AND THERE WERE NO CLOSE CALLS. IN THE FLURRY OF COCKPIT DUTIES, I WAS SO FAR AHEAD THAT I SWITCHED OUT LEB TWR FREQS WITH TEB FREQS -- NOT GOOD. WERE LUCKY AND THE REST IS HISTORY. EXHAUSTION IS NO EXCUSE, ONLY A REASON TO SLOW DOWN AND REGROUP. THE ALTERNATIVE IS NOT PLEASANT AND FAR TOO QUIET FOR US ALL.

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.