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GA small transport altitude deviation overshot during descent. Pilot was distraction by irate passenger owner.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 123154 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198909 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : cou |
| State Reference | MO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 11000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zkc |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 2760 flight time type : 10 |
| ASRS Report | 123154 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I accepted assignment through my employer (an on-demand charter service), to fly a pilot service trip carrying the aircraft owner to little rock, ar, and return (part 91). The aircraft is an small transport. I don't know if the owner is or was a pilot, he appeared familiar with aviation. He sat in one of the aft passenger seats. Immediately after departure, he asked at what altitude we would be flying. I responded that we would try 15,000' because the winds aloft and performance of the aircraft would give the best ground speed. He said he was running very late and demanded the aircraft be flown at FL250 for better performance. I explained the winds up higher were not favorable and we should stay at 15,000'. The owner persisted, so I requested higher and received FL230 as a final. Our ground speed dropped to 170 KTS. Seeing our slower speed the owner became very abusive and demanded we descend to 15,000' to pick up airspeed. Center cleared us to 15,000'. At 15,000' our ground speed picked up to 180 KTS. The owner became very hostile and demanded 9000. Since all these altitudes were within the safe regime of our aircraft and flight plan, I requested the altitude changes to try and calm the owner down. Center cleared us to 11,000'. I set the autoplt on a steady rate descent of 500 FPM for the descent. At that time the owner became enraged, swearing profusely. He demanded to know exactly where we were and when we would land to the minute. I had the charts out and tried to explain where we were and our ETA. This took a long time because he did not believe me. My attention was diverted away from the panel as we descended through our assigned altitude of 11,000'. The center may have been trying to contact me as we went through, but the owner was yelling in my ear so loud, I missed some xmissions. Center called me descending towards 10,000', reminded me I was assigned 11,000' and cleared me to 9000'. I should have immediately told the owner to shut up because he was jeopardizing the safety of the flight. However, he was so domineering and abusive, I thought we would end up in a fist fight should I tell him to clam up. I have told my employer I am never flying this person again.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: GA SMT ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT DURING DESCENT. PLT WAS DISTR BY IRATE PASSENGER OWNER.
Narrative: I ACCEPTED ASSIGNMENT THROUGH MY EMPLOYER (AN ON-DEMAND CHARTER SERVICE), TO FLY A PLT SERVICE TRIP CARRYING THE ACFT OWNER TO LITTLE ROCK, AR, AND RETURN (PART 91). THE ACFT IS AN SMT. I DON'T KNOW IF THE OWNER IS OR WAS A PLT, HE APPEARED FAMILIAR WITH AVIATION. HE SAT IN ONE OF THE AFT PAX SEATS. IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEP, HE ASKED AT WHAT ALT WE WOULD BE FLYING. I RESPONDED THAT WE WOULD TRY 15,000' BECAUSE THE WINDS ALOFT AND PERFORMANCE OF THE ACFT WOULD GIVE THE BEST GND SPEED. HE SAID HE WAS RUNNING VERY LATE AND DEMANDED THE ACFT BE FLOWN AT FL250 FOR BETTER PERFORMANCE. I EXPLAINED THE WINDS UP HIGHER WERE NOT FAVORABLE AND WE SHOULD STAY AT 15,000'. THE OWNER PERSISTED, SO I REQUESTED HIGHER AND RECEIVED FL230 AS A FINAL. OUR GND SPEED DROPPED TO 170 KTS. SEEING OUR SLOWER SPEED THE OWNER BECAME VERY ABUSIVE AND DEMANDED WE DSND TO 15,000' TO PICK UP AIRSPEED. CENTER CLRED US TO 15,000'. AT 15,000' OUR GND SPEED PICKED UP TO 180 KTS. THE OWNER BECAME VERY HOSTILE AND DEMANDED 9000. SINCE ALL THESE ALTS WERE WITHIN THE SAFE REGIME OF OUR ACFT AND FLT PLAN, I REQUESTED THE ALT CHANGES TO TRY AND CALM THE OWNER DOWN. CENTER CLRED US TO 11,000'. I SET THE AUTOPLT ON A STEADY RATE DSCNT OF 500 FPM FOR THE DSCNT. AT THAT TIME THE OWNER BECAME ENRAGED, SWEARING PROFUSELY. HE DEMANDED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE WERE AND WHEN WE WOULD LAND TO THE MINUTE. I HAD THE CHARTS OUT AND TRIED TO EXPLAIN WHERE WE WERE AND OUR ETA. THIS TOOK A LONG TIME BECAUSE HE DID NOT BELIEVE ME. MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED AWAY FROM THE PANEL AS WE DESCENDED THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 11,000'. THE CENTER MAY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT ME AS WE WENT THROUGH, BUT THE OWNER WAS YELLING IN MY EAR SO LOUD, I MISSED SOME XMISSIONS. CENTER CALLED ME DESCENDING TOWARDS 10,000', REMINDED ME I WAS ASSIGNED 11,000' AND CLRED ME TO 9000'. I SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY TOLD THE OWNER TO SHUT UP BECAUSE HE WAS JEOPARDIZING THE SAFETY OF THE FLT. HOWEVER, HE WAS SO DOMINEERING AND ABUSIVE, I THOUGHT WE WOULD END UP IN A FIST FIGHT SHOULD I TELL HIM TO CLAM UP. I HAVE TOLD MY EMPLOYER I AM NEVER FLYING THIS PERSON AGAIN.
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.