Air taxi aircraft request flight of 2 to expedite. FAA claims formation flight with passenger aboard...

Attributes
ACN	217779
Time
Date	199208
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jnu
State Reference	AK
Altitude	msl bound lower : 0 msl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : jnu tracon : hln
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 523
ASRS Report	217779
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was taxiing an small aircraft float plane for takeoff and a company aircraft was taxiing out in front of me. The airport was congested so the company pilot and I decided to call a flight of 2. We requested this from the tower and were cleared for takeoff as a flight of 2 at which time we took off and left the air traffic area. When we returned to the airport the FAA met us at the planes and informed us that they felt that departing as a flight of 2 constituted flying in formation and since we had passenger on board we were in violation of far 91.111.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI ACFT REQUEST FLT OF 2 TO EXPEDITE. FAA CLAIMS FORMATION FLT WITH PAX ABOARD.

Narrative: I WAS TAXIING AN SMA FLOAT PLANE FOR TKOF AND A COMPANY ACFT WAS TAXIING OUT IN FRONT OF ME. THE ARPT WAS CONGESTED SO THE COMPANY PLT AND I DECIDED TO CALL A FLT OF 2. WE REQUESTED THIS FROM THE TWR AND WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AS A FLT OF 2 AT WHICH TIME WE TOOK OFF AND LEFT THE ATA. WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE ARPT THE FAA MET US AT THE PLANES AND INFORMED US THAT THEY FELT THAT DEPARTING AS A FLT OF 2 CONSTITUTED FLYING IN FORMATION AND SINCE WE HAD PAX ON BOARD WE WERE IN VIOLATION OF FAR 91.111.

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.