<< >> NASA ASRS Report 110852, May 1989

Pilot of small transport chose to fly special VFR, but regretted his decision when WX worsened in flight.

Attributes
ACN	110852
Time
Date	198905
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oak
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 700 msl bound upper : 700
Environment
Flight Conditions	Special VFR
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	approach : svfr enroute : direct
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 2300 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	110852
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

This is purely a story of bad judgement. I had just been assigned a newly created run which required me to repos my aircraft from oak to sjc to pick up my cargo. I was told to show at xxam. This was the first day it had been IFR at either airport and upon engine start I was informed my flight plan did not exist. I was told to file a flight plan with FSS. I filed my flight plan and then I was told to expect a 50 min delay into sjc due to the new arsa implementing 50 mi in trail spacing--this would have made me very late and probably a nasty letter or talk with the boss, so I decided on special VFR. It was a lot lower than it looked once I got out there and I truly regretted my decision. An airplane that large and that noisy should not be special VFR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMT CHOSE TO FLY SPECIAL VFR, BUT REGRETTED HIS DECISION WHEN WX WORSENED IN FLT.

Narrative: THIS IS PURELY A STORY OF BAD JUDGEMENT. I HAD JUST BEEN ASSIGNED A NEWLY CREATED RUN WHICH REQUIRED ME TO REPOS MY ACFT FROM OAK TO SJC TO PICK UP MY CARGO. I WAS TOLD TO SHOW AT XXAM. THIS WAS THE FIRST DAY IT HAD BEEN IFR AT EITHER ARPT AND UPON ENG START I WAS INFORMED MY FLT PLAN DID NOT EXIST. I WAS TOLD TO FILE A FLT PLAN WITH FSS. I FILED MY FLT PLAN AND THEN I WAS TOLD TO EXPECT A 50 MIN DELAY INTO SJC DUE TO THE NEW ARSA IMPLEMENTING 50 MI IN TRAIL SPACING--THIS WOULD HAVE MADE ME VERY LATE AND PROBABLY A NASTY LETTER OR TALK WITH THE BOSS, SO I DECIDED ON SPECIAL VFR. IT WAS A LOT LOWER THAN IT LOOKED ONCE I GOT OUT THERE AND I TRULY REGRETTED MY DECISION. AN AIRPLANE THAT LARGE AND THAT NOISY SHOULD NOT BE SPECIAL VFR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.