Narrative:

Charter company briefed and released me for a part 135 charter flight from leb to vrb. On the manifest was a great dane dog. Great danes are large dogs that are among the tallest of dog breeds. They are usually 34 inches tall and weigh 120-160 pounds. I advised the company of the size of the animal and the weight of well over 100 pounds. I also advised them that the body harnesses that we keep aboard the aircraft for such occurrences would not be big enough to fit the animal and are only rated for 35-50 pounds. The first assistant chief pilot I spoke with agreed with me in my assumption that we could not take the animal on the charter without violating charter company's fom regarding the carriage of animals and cargo. We also agreed that we could not be in compliance with far section 135.87 carriage of cargo. When the customer arrived and was told he could not take the animal; he was very upset and asked to speak with my manager. After being told to put the animal in the potty area with the door closed he got even more upset and refused to even think of such an option. The problem was escalated to charter company's assistant director of operations; who informed me that I was to take the dog! Strongly coercing me; I made him facsimile me a letter stating that the owner's supplied leash and collar (with unknown weight ratings) was legal according the charter company's fom and FARS to transport the animal. Even though currently the charter company's fom states something contrary. After receiving this letter; I loaded the animal in what may possibly have been contrary to FARS. The animal may not have been secured enough through its leash to prevent it from moving on its own. With the size of the animal; it may not have been possible to keep the animal from blocking at least 1 emergency exit of the aircraft at any given time. The leash and collar may not have been strong enough to contain the animal in an accident or aborted takeoff situation. It may have been illegal for the assistant director of operations to rewrite the FAA approved fom without the approval of charter company poi. By accepting this letter as approval; I may have acted contrary to FARS. I regret that I allowed myself to bend to the severe pressure that charter company assistant poi placed on me to carry such a large animal on an aircraft that clearly is not designed for such a thing. To correct this problem; I have given the letter charter company assistant director of operations faxed to me to the pilot group's union. I have asked them to confront the assistant director of operations' supervisor and clarify this problem with the customer so as not to have another instance like this one. The customer clearly cannot transport such a large animal legally and safely on a citation vii.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CE560 PLT FELT PRESSURED TO CARRY A LARGE DOG WITH INADEQUATE RESTRAINTS OR SPACE FOR ITS 120-160 LB WT AND SIZE.

Narrative: CHARTER COMPANY BRIEFED AND RELEASED ME FOR A PART 135 CHARTER FLT FROM LEB TO VRB. ON THE MANIFEST WAS A GREAT DANE DOG. GREAT DANES ARE LARGE DOGS THAT ARE AMONG THE TALLEST OF DOG BREEDS. THEY ARE USUALLY 34 INCHES TALL AND WEIGH 120-160 LBS. I ADVISED THE COMPANY OF THE SIZE OF THE ANIMAL AND THE WT OF WELL OVER 100 LBS. I ALSO ADVISED THEM THAT THE BODY HARNESSES THAT WE KEEP ABOARD THE ACFT FOR SUCH OCCURRENCES WOULD NOT BE BIG ENOUGH TO FIT THE ANIMAL AND ARE ONLY RATED FOR 35-50 LBS. THE FIRST ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT I SPOKE WITH AGREED WITH ME IN MY ASSUMPTION THAT WE COULD NOT TAKE THE ANIMAL ON THE CHARTER WITHOUT VIOLATING CHARTER COMPANY'S FOM REGARDING THE CARRIAGE OF ANIMALS AND CARGO. WE ALSO AGREED THAT WE COULD NOT BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH FAR SECTION 135.87 CARRIAGE OF CARGO. WHEN THE CUSTOMER ARRIVED AND WAS TOLD HE COULD NOT TAKE THE ANIMAL; HE WAS VERY UPSET AND ASKED TO SPEAK WITH MY MGR. AFTER BEING TOLD TO PUT THE ANIMAL IN THE POTTY AREA WITH THE DOOR CLOSED HE GOT EVEN MORE UPSET AND REFUSED TO EVEN THINK OF SUCH AN OPTION. THE PROB WAS ESCALATED TO CHARTER COMPANY'S ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF OPS; WHO INFORMED ME THAT I WAS TO TAKE THE DOG! STRONGLY COERCING ME; I MADE HIM FAX ME A LETTER STATING THAT THE OWNER'S SUPPLIED LEASH AND COLLAR (WITH UNKNOWN WT RATINGS) WAS LEGAL ACCORDING THE CHARTER COMPANY'S FOM AND FARS TO TRANSPORT THE ANIMAL. EVEN THOUGH CURRENTLY THE CHARTER COMPANY'S FOM STATES SOMETHING CONTRARY. AFTER RECEIVING THIS LETTER; I LOADED THE ANIMAL IN WHAT MAY POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN CONTRARY TO FARS. THE ANIMAL MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SECURED ENOUGH THROUGH ITS LEASH TO PREVENT IT FROM MOVING ON ITS OWN. WITH THE SIZE OF THE ANIMAL; IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE TO KEEP THE ANIMAL FROM BLOCKING AT LEAST 1 EMER EXIT OF THE ACFT AT ANY GIVEN TIME. THE LEASH AND COLLAR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN STRONG ENOUGH TO CONTAIN THE ANIMAL IN AN ACCIDENT OR ABORTED TKOF SIT. IT MAY HAVE BEEN ILLEGAL FOR THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF OPS TO REWRITE THE FAA APPROVED FOM WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF CHARTER COMPANY POI. BY ACCEPTING THIS LETTER AS APPROVAL; I MAY HAVE ACTED CONTRARY TO FARS. I REGRET THAT I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BEND TO THE SEVERE PRESSURE THAT CHARTER COMPANY ASSISTANT POI PLACED ON ME TO CARRY SUCH A LARGE ANIMAL ON AN ACFT THAT CLRLY IS NOT DESIGNED FOR SUCH A THING. TO CORRECT THIS PROB; I HAVE GIVEN THE LETTER CHARTER COMPANY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF OPS FAXED TO ME TO THE PLT GROUP'S UNION. I HAVE ASKED THEM TO CONFRONT THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF OPS' SUPVR AND CLARIFY THIS PROB WITH THE CUSTOMER SO AS NOT TO HAVE ANOTHER INSTANCE LIKE THIS ONE. THE CUSTOMER CLRLY CANNOT TRANSPORT SUCH A LARGE ANIMAL LEGALLY AND SAFELY ON A CITATION VII.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.