37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 165862 |
Time | |
Date | 199012 |
Day | Mon |
Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | atc facility : atl |
State Reference | GA |
Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 17500 flight time type : 12000 |
ASRS Report | 165862 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | other personnel other |
Qualification | other other : other |
Events | |
Anomaly | non adherence : far |
Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
Consequence | faa : investigated Other Other |
Supplementary | |
Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
If company rep had been an official rep of the FAA, I most assuredly would have complied, west/O question, to her demand that I take a drug test, notwithstanding I had 3 tests for drugs within recent months. And had I known then, as I know now, 'failure to submit to testing is equivalent to failing the test and will also result in your being discharged,' I would have complied. It is not west/O consequence that company officials have acknowledged that I am not a drug user or abuser. In substantiation of my claim, you will find enclosed the report from medical labs, following testing within 45 hours of this incident. I sought all inclusive testing immediately upon my return to my home area. This was the third time in atl at which I had been ordered to submit for drug testing. My experience clearly indicated that not less than 1 1/2 hours is expended between notification and release from drug testing. I had only 1 3/4 hours within which to catch the last flight to my home in fl. I landed flight at atl. Company rep informed me that I was 'randomly selected' for drug testing. Rep never informed me of my rights, or explained that 'refusal is the same as admittance,' as alleged to me on 12/wed/90 by doctor. I attended TCAS class in atl and spent the night in a hotel. I began a 3 day trip returning 12/mon/90, arriving in atl with time only to catch the last flight from atl to dayton beach. 12/tue/90 was my only day off. 12/wed/90, I was scheduled to leave daytona teach for atl, continuing to mia for my PIC check beginning on 12/thu/90. 12/fri/90, I was to report to atl to begin another 3 day trip--point being, again I was scheduled to be away from home 9 out of 10 days. I admit that I smarted off to a manager at a pilot's meeting, which clearly resulted in arousing competitive spirits. However, I do not believe this should be grounds for dismissal or demands for resignation in view of 24 1/2 yrs of dedicated service. It is doubtful such action would have been taken by company, had we still had union representation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT ALLEGEDLY RANDOMLY SELECTED FOR DRUG TESTING, REFUSED AND FIRED BY COMPANY.
Narrative: IF COMPANY REP HAD BEEN AN OFFICIAL REP OF THE FAA, I MOST ASSUREDLY WOULD HAVE COMPLIED, W/O QUESTION, TO HER DEMAND THAT I TAKE A DRUG TEST, NOTWITHSTANDING I HAD 3 TESTS FOR DRUGS WITHIN RECENT MONTHS. AND HAD I KNOWN THEN, AS I KNOW NOW, 'FAILURE TO SUBMIT TO TESTING IS EQUIVALENT TO FAILING THE TEST AND WILL ALSO RESULT IN YOUR BEING DISCHARGED,' I WOULD HAVE COMPLIED. IT IS NOT W/O CONSEQUENCE THAT COMPANY OFFICIALS HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I AM NOT A DRUG USER OR ABUSER. IN SUBSTANTIATION OF MY CLAIM, YOU WILL FIND ENCLOSED THE RPT FROM MEDICAL LABS, FOLLOWING TESTING WITHIN 45 HRS OF THIS INCIDENT. I SOUGHT ALL INCLUSIVE TESTING IMMEDIATELY UPON MY RETURN TO MY HOME AREA. THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME IN ATL AT WHICH I HAD BEEN ORDERED TO SUBMIT FOR DRUG TESTING. MY EXPERIENCE CLEARLY INDICATED THAT NOT LESS THAN 1 1/2 HRS IS EXPENDED BTWN NOTIFICATION AND RELEASE FROM DRUG TESTING. I HAD ONLY 1 3/4 HRS WITHIN WHICH TO CATCH THE LAST FLT TO MY HOME IN FL. I LANDED FLT AT ATL. COMPANY REP INFORMED ME THAT I WAS 'RANDOMLY SELECTED' FOR DRUG TESTING. REP NEVER INFORMED ME OF MY RIGHTS, OR EXPLAINED THAT 'REFUSAL IS THE SAME AS ADMITTANCE,' AS ALLEGED TO ME ON 12/WED/90 BY DOCTOR. I ATTENDED TCAS CLASS IN ATL AND SPENT THE NIGHT IN A HOTEL. I BEGAN A 3 DAY TRIP RETURNING 12/MON/90, ARRIVING IN ATL WITH TIME ONLY TO CATCH THE LAST FLT FROM ATL TO DAYTON BEACH. 12/TUE/90 WAS MY ONLY DAY OFF. 12/WED/90, I WAS SCHEDULED TO LEAVE DAYTONA TEACH FOR ATL, CONTINUING TO MIA FOR MY PIC CHK BEGINNING ON 12/THU/90. 12/FRI/90, I WAS TO RPT TO ATL TO BEGIN ANOTHER 3 DAY TRIP--POINT BEING, AGAIN I WAS SCHEDULED TO BE AWAY FROM HOME 9 OUT OF 10 DAYS. I ADMIT THAT I SMARTED OFF TO A MGR AT A PLT'S MEETING, WHICH CLEARLY RESULTED IN AROUSING COMPETITIVE SPIRITS. HOWEVER, I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE GROUNDS FOR DISMISSAL OR DEMANDS FOR RESIGNATION IN VIEW OF 24 1/2 YRS OF DEDICATED SVC. IT IS DOUBTFUL SUCH ACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY COMPANY, HAD WE STILL HAD UNION REPRESENTATION.
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.