Narrative:

5 months ago I was hired to fly copilot on a small turboprop corporate airplane. During these past 5 months I have sent in several NASA reports with a range of errors that the captain, who is ex-military, was making such as getting off course on an instrument arrival. I see the errors happening but every time I speak up, the captain gets very angry and makes the remainder of the trip very unpleasant for me. He goes out of his way to make me look as if I don't know what I am doing to cover for his mistake. If I read off the after takeoff checklist he yells that he doesn't want it. If I don't read it off, he yells at me that I forgot it. Last week during a flight, we were cleared to 6000 ft after takeoff. When the captain leveled off at 5000 ft I pointed out that we were cleared to 6000 ft not 5000 ft. He replied back that he was at 6000 ft. I looked at his altimeter and it was set incorrectly. After he reset his altimeter we were cleared to 10000 ft. The captain climbed to 10500 ft at which time the altitude alert went off and we descended back down to 10000 ft. Upon reaching our destination the captain told me to report us at a location that we were not at. Thinking he was confused, I pointed out that we were not at that location. The captain then yelled that 'we are at wherever the person in the left seat says we are.' to avoid an argument, I reported our correct location and we were cleared to land. During the trip back we were told to join an airway which we did. Shortly afterwards we wandered 15 mi off the airway due to the captain setting in the wrong frequency in his VOR and ATC advised us to rejoin the airway on an assigned heading which we did. The next morning the captain wanted to talk to me about disobeying him when I called our correct location. He told me that my job is to do what he says regardless of what I think. I responded that I felt that as a copilot, I have a responsibility, for the safety of the flight, to point out things that do not look right. I explained that I was not trying to argue but merely pointing out that something doesn't look right so that neither one of us will get a violation. His reply was that I am to keep my mouth shut, do as I am told and if we get a violation, he will take responsibility for it. A few days later I was told that I no longer had a job. I have read a lot of accident and incident reports where the copilot was criticized for not speaking up. Most recently, the first officer who was fired for allowing a flight attendant to situation in the captain's seat during a landing. I also say to myself that if I would have just stared out the window at the pretty clouds I would probably still have my job. I guess safety sometimes comes with a price.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR FO FIRED FOR DOING HIS JOB IN COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT, COCKPIT COORD.

Narrative: 5 MONTHS AGO I WAS HIRED TO FLY COPLT ON A SMALL TURBOPROP CORPORATE AIRPLANE. DURING THESE PAST 5 MONTHS I HAVE SENT IN SEVERAL NASA RPTS WITH A RANGE OF ERRORS THAT THE CAPT, WHO IS EX-MIL, WAS MAKING SUCH AS GETTING OFF COURSE ON AN INST ARR. I SEE THE ERRORS HAPPENING BUT EVERY TIME I SPEAK UP, THE CAPT GETS VERY ANGRY AND MAKES THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP VERY UNPLEASANT FOR ME. HE GOES OUT OF HIS WAY TO MAKE ME LOOK AS IF I DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM DOING TO COVER FOR HIS MISTAKE. IF I READ OFF THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST HE YELLS THAT HE DOESN'T WANT IT. IF I DON'T READ IT OFF, HE YELLS AT ME THAT I FORGOT IT. LAST WK DURING A FLT, WE WERE CLRED TO 6000 FT AFTER TKOF. WHEN THE CAPT LEVELED OFF AT 5000 FT I POINTED OUT THAT WE WERE CLRED TO 6000 FT NOT 5000 FT. HE REPLIED BACK THAT HE WAS AT 6000 FT. I LOOKED AT HIS ALTIMETER AND IT WAS SET INCORRECTLY. AFTER HE RESET HIS ALTIMETER WE WERE CLRED TO 10000 FT. THE CAPT CLBED TO 10500 FT AT WHICH TIME THE ALT ALERT WENT OFF AND WE DSNDED BACK DOWN TO 10000 FT. UPON REACHING OUR DEST THE CAPT TOLD ME TO RPT US AT A LOCATION THAT WE WERE NOT AT. THINKING HE WAS CONFUSED, I POINTED OUT THAT WE WERE NOT AT THAT LOCATION. THE CAPT THEN YELLED THAT 'WE ARE AT WHEREVER THE PERSON IN THE L SEAT SAYS WE ARE.' TO AVOID AN ARGUMENT, I RPTED OUR CORRECT LOCATION AND WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. DURING THE TRIP BACK WE WERE TOLD TO JOIN AN AIRWAY WHICH WE DID. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS WE WANDERED 15 MI OFF THE AIRWAY DUE TO THE CAPT SETTING IN THE WRONG FREQ IN HIS VOR AND ATC ADVISED US TO REJOIN THE AIRWAY ON AN ASSIGNED HDG WHICH WE DID. THE NEXT MORNING THE CAPT WANTED TO TALK TO ME ABOUT DISOBEYING HIM WHEN I CALLED OUR CORRECT LOCATION. HE TOLD ME THAT MY JOB IS TO DO WHAT HE SAYS REGARDLESS OF WHAT I THINK. I RESPONDED THAT I FELT THAT AS A COPLT, I HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY, FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FLT, TO POINT OUT THINGS THAT DO NOT LOOK RIGHT. I EXPLAINED THAT I WAS NOT TRYING TO ARGUE BUT MERELY POINTING OUT THAT SOMETHING DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT SO THAT NEITHER ONE OF US WILL GET A VIOLATION. HIS REPLY WAS THAT I AM TO KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT, DO AS I AM TOLD AND IF WE GET A VIOLATION, HE WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. A FEW DAYS LATER I WAS TOLD THAT I NO LONGER HAD A JOB. I HAVE READ A LOT OF ACCIDENT AND INCIDENT RPTS WHERE THE COPLT WAS CRITICIZED FOR NOT SPEAKING UP. MOST RECENTLY, THE FO WHO WAS FIRED FOR ALLOWING A FLT ATTENDANT TO SIT IN THE CAPT'S SEAT DURING A LNDG. I ALSO SAY TO MYSELF THAT IF I WOULD HAVE JUST STARED OUT THE WINDOW AT THE PRETTY CLOUDS I WOULD PROBABLY STILL HAVE MY JOB. I GUESS SAFETY SOMETIMES COMES WITH A PRICE.

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.