Narrative:

Our company had picked up a freight charter from sfo to boi. To do this the aircraft had to ferry from bil to sfo, operate with freight to boi, then ferry boi to bil. When I came on duty the flight plans (computerized) had already been done. I asked the previous flight follower if driftdown and WX had been looked at. He told me to look at the driftdown, WX was ok, basically VFR along routing. There were airmets for mountain obscuration and up to moderate icing. I looked at routing and saw with 2 engines we were barely above en route MEA's. Our approved driftdown chart showed a level off altitude of 8800 ft MSL. This altitude is based on certain weight and temperature. This flight would operate at weights lower than the chart went for level off. The captain for the flight called in at this point saying no way he could operate due driftdown. Our director of operations got involved at this point (I found our later director of operations had built these rtes and according to him, driftdown was ok). Our director of operations told the captain driftdown was ok, fly the trip, we have 5 mins to get in the air, etc. The captain refused to fly. Director of operations told me to get a replacement captain. This captain looked over the rtes and he, too, said no. Another captain was also asked to fly. He also refused. This whole time I did not say anything. I did not feel comfortable with these rtes either but did not say anything and left it between these pilots and the director. In hindsight, I should have said something, as these legs with driftdown fell below MEA's, and did not meet most MSA's at en route driftdown alternates. Icing conditions existed, night flying in mountainous area. Had this flight operated, there was the possibility for disaster. Our company is struggling financially, our director seeing a chance for good revenue, I feel, overlooked safety. I have been with this company over 2 yrs. I had maybe 30 mins of driftdown training. Our driftdown chart leaves a lot to be desired, also the numbers are based on new aircraft/engines, not our tired old aircraft. I tip my hat to these capts as it is hard to say no. They all face being fired now. As they have contacted the FAA and lawyers I felt it necessary to send this report in.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHARTER COMPANY DISPATCHER QUESTIONS DRIFTDOWN CONSIDERATIONS FOR FLT PLANNED RTE. 3 CAPTS REFUSE TO FLY THE RTE.

Narrative: OUR COMPANY HAD PICKED UP A FREIGHT CHARTER FROM SFO TO BOI. TO DO THIS THE ACFT HAD TO FERRY FROM BIL TO SFO, OPERATE WITH FREIGHT TO BOI, THEN FERRY BOI TO BIL. WHEN I CAME ON DUTY THE FLT PLANS (COMPUTERIZED) HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE. I ASKED THE PREVIOUS FLT FOLLOWER IF DRIFTDOWN AND WX HAD BEEN LOOKED AT. HE TOLD ME TO LOOK AT THE DRIFTDOWN, WX WAS OK, BASICALLY VFR ALONG ROUTING. THERE WERE AIRMETS FOR MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION AND UP TO MODERATE ICING. I LOOKED AT ROUTING AND SAW WITH 2 ENGS WE WERE BARELY ABOVE ENRTE MEA'S. OUR APPROVED DRIFTDOWN CHART SHOWED A LEVEL OFF ALT OF 8800 FT MSL. THIS ALT IS BASED ON CERTAIN WT AND TEMP. THIS FLT WOULD OPERATE AT WTS LOWER THAN THE CHART WENT FOR LEVEL OFF. THE CAPT FOR THE FLT CALLED IN AT THIS POINT SAYING NO WAY HE COULD OPERATE DUE DRIFTDOWN. OUR DIRECTOR OF OPS GOT INVOLVED AT THIS POINT (I FOUND OUR LATER DIRECTOR OF OPS HAD BUILT THESE RTES AND ACCORDING TO HIM, DRIFTDOWN WAS OK). OUR DIRECTOR OF OPS TOLD THE CAPT DRIFTDOWN WAS OK, FLY THE TRIP, WE HAVE 5 MINS TO GET IN THE AIR, ETC. THE CAPT REFUSED TO FLY. DIRECTOR OF OPS TOLD ME TO GET A REPLACEMENT CAPT. THIS CAPT LOOKED OVER THE RTES AND HE, TOO, SAID NO. ANOTHER CAPT WAS ALSO ASKED TO FLY. HE ALSO REFUSED. THIS WHOLE TIME I DID NOT SAY ANYTHING. I DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THESE RTES EITHER BUT DID NOT SAY ANYTHING AND LEFT IT BTWN THESE PLTS AND THE DIRECTOR. IN HINDSIGHT, I SHOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING, AS THESE LEGS WITH DRIFTDOWN FELL BELOW MEA'S, AND DID NOT MEET MOST MSA'S AT ENRTE DRIFTDOWN ALTERNATES. ICING CONDITIONS EXISTED, NIGHT FLYING IN MOUNTAINOUS AREA. HAD THIS FLT OPERATED, THERE WAS THE POSSIBILITY FOR DISASTER. OUR COMPANY IS STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY, OUR DIRECTOR SEEING A CHANCE FOR GOOD REVENUE, I FEEL, OVERLOOKED SAFETY. I HAVE BEEN WITH THIS COMPANY OVER 2 YRS. I HAD MAYBE 30 MINS OF DRIFTDOWN TRAINING. OUR DRIFTDOWN CHART LEAVES A LOT TO BE DESIRED, ALSO THE NUMBERS ARE BASED ON NEW ACFT/ENGS, NOT OUR TIRED OLD ACFT. I TIP MY HAT TO THESE CAPTS AS IT IS HARD TO SAY NO. THEY ALL FACE BEING FIRED NOW. AS THEY HAVE CONTACTED THE FAA AND LAWYERS I FELT IT NECESSARY TO SEND THIS RPT IN.

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.