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An air ambulance pilot felt it possible to have flown an unairworthy aircraft due to company pressures.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 456230 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199911 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | PA-31T Cheyenne II |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1300 |
| ASRS Report | 456230 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Company |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
I just pieced together the story of why one of our pilots (air ambulance) walked off the job recently. He found a fuel leak during preflight and wrote it up. Apparently he was harassed, relentlessly, for grounding the only available air ambulance aircraft. The company's harassment made this pilot angry enough to go to the FAA and the airport security. Pictures and interviews followed. It turned into a big deal. I do feel this pilot was justified, but I am concerned that I may be accused of having flown an unairworthy aircraft. I did not know about the fuel leak. The last time that I flew this airplane, it had already been pulled when I arrived at the airport. I preflted and postflted without finding any discrepancies. I did feel uncomfortable with this aircraft because the left engine was soon to be due for an overhaul and had passed that information on during shift briefings. I have flown for this company for almost 3 yrs and have often been interrogated over write-ups. A 'culture' of accepting a lower standard of airworthiness had set in with some of the pilots. After I heard (1 1/2 weeks later) what had happened, I resigned and have moved on to a better job!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN AIR AMBULANCE PLT FELT IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE FLOWN AN UNAIRWORTHY ACFT DUE TO COMPANY PRESSURES.
Narrative: I JUST PIECED TOGETHER THE STORY OF WHY ONE OF OUR PLTS (AIR AMBULANCE) WALKED OFF THE JOB RECENTLY. HE FOUND A FUEL LEAK DURING PREFLT AND WROTE IT UP. APPARENTLY HE WAS HARASSED, RELENTLESSLY, FOR GNDING THE ONLY AVAILABLE AIR AMBULANCE ACFT. THE COMPANY'S HARASSMENT MADE THIS PLT ANGRY ENOUGH TO GO TO THE FAA AND THE ARPT SECURITY. PICTURES AND INTERVIEWS FOLLOWED. IT TURNED INTO A BIG DEAL. I DO FEEL THIS PLT WAS JUSTIFIED, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT I MAY BE ACCUSED OF HAVING FLOWN AN UNAIRWORTHY ACFT. I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE FUEL LEAK. THE LAST TIME THAT I FLEW THIS AIRPLANE, IT HAD ALREADY BEEN PULLED WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE ARPT. I PREFLTED AND POSTFLTED WITHOUT FINDING ANY DISCREPANCIES. I DID FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS ACFT BECAUSE THE L ENG WAS SOON TO BE DUE FOR AN OVERHAUL AND HAD PASSED THAT INFO ON DURING SHIFT BRIEFINGS. I HAVE FLOWN FOR THIS COMPANY FOR ALMOST 3 YRS AND HAVE OFTEN BEEN INTERROGATED OVER WRITE-UPS. A 'CULTURE' OF ACCEPTING A LOWER STANDARD OF AIRWORTHINESS HAD SET IN WITH SOME OF THE PLTS. AFTER I HEARD (1 1/2 WKS LATER) WHAT HAD HAPPENED, I RESIGNED AND HAVE MOVED ON TO A BETTER JOB!
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.