 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A mallard flight crew discovers after landing that their transponder was intermittent while entering the country with a customs squawk code.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 581570 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200305 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : fll.vor |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 9500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : fll.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Mallard |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level landing : roll |
| Route In Use | enroute other |
| Flight Plan | DVR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1300 flight time type : 30 |
| ASRS Report | 581570 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : transponder other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
After what seemed to my captain and I to be an uneventful VFR flight from the bahamas (this is an amphibious seaplane), we landed at fll. After landing, the tower instructed us to call a telephone number. My captain and I both remarked that we must have done something wrong, but neither of us could think of anything. Then, for the lack of any other possibility, I mused, 'I wonder if I forgot to put the (united states) customs code in the transponder?' we were assigned a code. He confirmed my belief that I actually had entered it when he said 'I saw you put it in there.' he made the phone call, and came back to tell me that the problem was that, although our customs code was in fact picked up, it was later lost. We were told to keep an eye on that transponder. It seems to be operating fine now, as it had before the incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A MALLARD FLT CREW DISCOVERS AFTER LNDG THAT THEIR XPONDER WAS INTERMITTENT WHILE ENTERING THE COUNTRY WITH A CUSTOMS SQUAWK CODE.
Narrative: AFTER WHAT SEEMED TO MY CAPT AND I TO BE AN UNEVENTFUL VFR FLT FROM THE BAHAMAS (THIS IS AN AMPHIBIOUS SEAPLANE), WE LANDED AT FLL. AFTER LNDG, THE TWR INSTRUCTED US TO CALL A TELEPHONE NUMBER. MY CAPT AND I BOTH REMARKED THAT WE MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG, BUT NEITHER OF US COULD THINK OF ANYTHING. THEN, FOR THE LACK OF ANY OTHER POSSIBILITY, I MUSED, 'I WONDER IF I FORGOT TO PUT THE (UNITED STATES) CUSTOMS CODE IN THE XPONDER?' WE WERE ASSIGNED A CODE. HE CONFIRMED MY BELIEF THAT I ACTUALLY HAD ENTERED IT WHEN HE SAID 'I SAW YOU PUT IT IN THERE.' HE MADE THE PHONE CALL, AND CAME BACK TO TELL ME THAT THE PROB WAS THAT, ALTHOUGH OUR CUSTOMS CODE WAS IN FACT PICKED UP, IT WAS LATER LOST. WE WERE TOLD TO KEEP AN EYE ON THAT XPONDER. IT SEEMS TO BE OPERATING FINE NOW, AS IT HAD BEFORE THE INCIDENT.
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.