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Private small aircraft pilot gets talked into an illogical vectoring. Radio navigation flight assist after failing to accomplish the desired frequency change.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 190264 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199109 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bos airport : owd |
| State Reference | MA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2300 msl bound upper : 2300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : bos tower : owd |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other cruise other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 150 flight time type : 2 |
| ASRS Report | 190264 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure non adherence other other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
I was flying an small aircraft from are direct owd in order to build cross country time for my instrument rating. I was pressed for time to return aircraft to FBO on time and owd is difficult to see from the air and I am not familiar with the area. (Not very, anyway). With all this in mind and knowing it wasn't rush hour for bos approach, I decided to ask them to point out to me via a couple of vectors. If that hadn't been an option, I would simply have done a little VOR work. I figured wandering around the vicinity of owd wasn't wise with the TCA so close to me. Aircraft was equipped with 'FLIP flop' radio, I dialed bos approach but forgot to FLIP radio. Accidentally called owe tower. They decided to help me themselves, instead of bos. I started heading west to avoid TCA. My only problem was being unable to locate owd. I wasn't lost until they started trying to give me a VOR lesson over the radio. They didn't understand that all I wanted was to have the airport pointed out to me. Owd gave me a squawk code. Owd told me to contact quansett approach, they handed me off to bos approach, and all facilities were polite, courteous and helpful. A supervisor at owd tower (who was not working the frequencys) decided to take it upon himself to judge my competency as a pilot because I chose to enlist the help of ATC. Might I mention that folks end up in flying magazines aftermath column because problem (losing a field) becomes several problems (losing a field and being low on fuel and deteriorating WX). This man who decided I was not a good pilot doesn't even fly himself at all. I thought I did the right thing. But I will never ask for help again unless it is an emergency. I only asked for help to begin with because I wanted to return the airplane on time. I did not do anything illegal! The conversation with supervisor took place in the tower cabin attendant after landing.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PVT SMA PLT GETS TALKED INTO AN ILLOGICAL VECTORING. RADIO NAV FLT ASSIST AFTER FAILING TO ACCOMPLISH THE DESIRED FREQ CHANGE.
Narrative: I WAS FLYING AN SMA FROM ARE DIRECT OWD IN ORDER TO BUILD XCOUNTRY TIME FOR MY INST RATING. I WAS PRESSED FOR TIME TO RETURN ACFT TO FBO ON TIME AND OWD IS DIFFICULT TO SEE FROM THE AIR AND I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. (NOT VERY, ANYWAY). WITH ALL THIS IN MIND AND KNOWING IT WASN'T RUSH HR FOR BOS APCH, I DECIDED TO ASK THEM TO POINT OUT TO ME VIA A COUPLE OF VECTORS. IF THAT HADN'T BEEN AN OPTION, I WOULD SIMPLY HAVE DONE A LITTLE VOR WORK. I FIGURED WANDERING AROUND THE VICINITY OF OWD WASN'T WISE WITH THE TCA SO CLOSE TO ME. ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH 'FLIP FLOP' RADIO, I DIALED BOS APCH BUT FORGOT TO FLIP RADIO. ACCIDENTALLY CALLED OWE TWR. THEY DECIDED TO HELP ME THEMSELVES, INSTEAD OF BOS. I STARTED HDG W TO AVOID TCA. MY ONLY PROBLEM WAS BEING UNABLE TO LOCATE OWD. I WASN'T LOST UNTIL THEY STARTED TRYING TO GIVE ME A VOR LESSON OVER THE RADIO. THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT ALL I WANTED WAS TO HAVE THE ARPT POINTED OUT TO ME. OWD GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE. OWD TOLD ME TO CONTACT QUANSETT APCH, THEY HANDED ME OFF TO BOS APCH, AND ALL FACILITIES WERE POLITE, COURTEOUS AND HELPFUL. A SUPVR AT OWD TWR (WHO WAS NOT WORKING THE FREQS) DECIDED TO TAKE IT UPON HIMSELF TO JUDGE MY COMPETENCY AS A PLT BECAUSE I CHOSE TO ENLIST THE HELP OF ATC. MIGHT I MENTION THAT FOLKS END UP IN FLYING MAGAZINES AFTERMATH COLUMN BECAUSE PROBLEM (LOSING A FIELD) BECOMES SEVERAL PROBLEMS (LOSING A FIELD AND BEING LOW ON FUEL AND DETERIORATING WX). THIS MAN WHO DECIDED I WAS NOT A GOOD PLT DOESN'T EVEN FLY HIMSELF AT ALL. I THOUGHT I DID THE RIGHT THING. BUT I WILL NEVER ASK FOR HELP AGAIN UNLESS IT IS AN EMER. I ONLY ASKED FOR HELP TO BEGIN WITH BECAUSE I WANTED TO RETURN THE AIRPLANE ON TIME. I DID NOT DO ANYTHING ILLEGAL! THE CONVERSATION WITH SUPVR TOOK PLACE IN THE TWR CAB AFTER LNDG.
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.