Dispatcher alleges a commuter light transport returned to departure airport illegally. Destination w...

Attributes
ACN	167017
Time
Date	199012
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : efd airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other
ASRS Report	167017
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While en route to efd, WX conditions went below landing minimums. Upon arrival at efd captain elected to return to iah. Iah was not a legal alternate (vct on release). The captain notified iah operations of his decision. Operations notified dispatch. Dispatch relayed to operations for captain to hold but captain already was on his return to iah. By the time dispatch was able to contact the flight the aircraft was on 6 mi final into iah. Upon arrival into iah, the captain did go into operations and contact dispatch. He said that while at efd he was unable to contact dispatch, so relayed information to operations. I told him the reason we wanted him to hold at efd was so we could redispatch him to iah with another alternate, making the return to iah legal. During the conversation with the captain it became apparent that the crew was not sure of operation of the communication equipment aboard the aircraft. With proper training on this equipment, this situation could have been avoided.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER ALLEGES A COMMUTER LTT RETURNED TO DEP ARPT ILLEGALLY. DESTINATION WAS BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS WHEN ACFT ARR SO PIC ELECTED TO RETURN TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE TO EFD, WX CONDITIONS WENT BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS. UPON ARR AT EFD CAPT ELECTED TO RETURN TO IAH. IAH WAS NOT A LEGAL ALTERNATE (VCT ON RELEASE). THE CAPT NOTIFIED IAH OPS OF HIS DECISION. OPS NOTIFIED DISPATCH. DISPATCH RELAYED TO OPS FOR CAPT TO HOLD BUT CAPT ALREADY WAS ON HIS RETURN TO IAH. BY THE TIME DISPATCH WAS ABLE TO CONTACT THE FLT THE ACFT WAS ON 6 MI FINAL INTO IAH. UPON ARR INTO IAH, THE CAPT DID GO INTO OPS AND CONTACT DISPATCH. HE SAID THAT WHILE AT EFD HE WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT DISPATCH, SO RELAYED INFO TO OPS. I TOLD HIM THE REASON WE WANTED HIM TO HOLD AT EFD WAS SO WE COULD REDISPATCH HIM TO IAH WITH ANOTHER ALTERNATE, MAKING THE RETURN TO IAH LEGAL. DURING THE CONVERSATION WITH THE CAPT IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE CREW WAS NOT SURE OF OPERATION OF THE COM EQUIP ABOARD THE ACFT. WITH PROPER TRNING ON THIS EQUIP, THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

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.

Dispatcher alleges a commuter light transport returned to departure airport illegally. Destination was below landing minimums when aircraft arrival so PIC elected to return to departure airport.