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A search was nearly started for an EMS helicopter. A sheriff's dispatcher failed to close the helicopter's flight plan with FSS as requested by the pilot.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 218504 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199208 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10500 msl bound upper : 10500 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 7889 flight time type : 522 |
| ASRS Report | 218504 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government other |
| Function | other personnel |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : investigated Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
I filed a VFR flight plan at approximately H plus 20 hours. I filed for 45 min flight to a scene EMS landing south of location. I found the landing zone at approximately H plus 1 plus 15 hours and asked the dispatcher to call abc FSS and close my flight plan. I found out at H plus 2 plus 50 hours, after talking with abc FSS that my flight plan was not closed as I requested. When I landed at the hospital, abc, I learned that the FSS person had started a phone search and placed the cap and united states air force on standby for an actual search. It is not uncommon to have a sheriff department dispatcher call and close a flight plan when we fly to a scene in us. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the sheriff department dispatcher had the wrong telephone number and did not understand the urgency involved with reaching the FSS to close the flight plan for the pilot. The FSS called the hospital to confirm location of the pilot but this program has no dispatcher and the personnel contacted did not know where to locate the current information, although it was available.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A SEARCH WAS NEARLY STARTED FOR AN EMS HELI. A SHERIFF'S DISPATCHER FAILED TO CLOSE THE HELI'S FLT PLAN WITH FSS AS REQUESTED BY THE PLT.
Narrative: I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN AT APPROX H PLUS 20 HRS. I FILED FOR 45 MIN FLT TO A SCENE EMS LNDG S OF LOCATION. I FOUND THE LNDG ZONE AT APPROX H PLUS 1 PLUS 15 HRS AND ASKED THE DISPATCHER TO CALL ABC FSS AND CLOSE MY FLT PLAN. I FOUND OUT AT H PLUS 2 PLUS 50 HRS, AFTER TALKING WITH ABC FSS THAT MY FLT PLAN WAS NOT CLOSED AS I REQUESTED. WHEN I LANDED AT THE HOSPITAL, ABC, I LEARNED THAT THE FSS PERSON HAD STARTED A PHONE SEARCH AND PLACED THE CAP AND UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ON STANDBY FOR AN ACTUAL SEARCH. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON TO HAVE A SHERIFF DEPT DISPATCHER CALL AND CLOSE A FLT PLAN WHEN WE FLY TO A SCENE IN US. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE SHERIFF DEPT DISPATCHER HAD THE WRONG TELEPHONE NUMBER AND DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY INVOLVED WITH REACHING THE FSS TO CLOSE THE FLT PLAN FOR THE PLT. THE FSS CALLED THE HOSPITAL TO CONFIRM LOCATION OF THE PLT BUT THIS PROGRAM HAS NO DISPATCHER AND THE PERSONNEL CONTACTED DID NOT KNOW WHERE TO LOCATE THE CURRENT INFO, ALTHOUGH IT WAS AVAILABLE.
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.