Narrative:

This is my first job as a first officer. Although the aircraft type is single pilot certified, operations specifications require a sic in all company aircraft. Although I have read many pubs about first officer's who sat silent through a violation/accident/incident, I vowed never to be the silent observer. I got to the aircraft, preflted and picked up our IFR. Before taxi, the captain stated we would depart VFR. The captain's brother was putting in a boat dock and the captain wanted to fly over his brother's house. Our VFR cruise was at 2000 ft MSL departing the international metropolitan airport toward the suburbs. The captain, who is a native to the area, impressed me with his knowledge of VFR landmarks. As we approached the small, inland lake, the captain stated that ptk class D surface area was northeast of our position at 15 mi. Over the lake we descended to 1000 ft AGL. The captain's only statement to me was, 'we're 1000 ft MSL so we're legal, right? Right!!' I sat silent and went along for the ride as the captain would gun the engines, excessively bank and descend to 400 ft AGL. Exiting the area north, the captain pulled the nose up excessively for a dramatic climb out. During climb out I found ptk airport was not 15 mi northeast, but right under us! Our maneuvering had been within the class D area and our climb out took us right over the runway at 1000 ft AGL. Main factors in this event: the captain's disregard of company procedures prohibiting low level maneuvering except for training. We should have departed on our clearance. No questions! The captain's overconfidence in his knowledge of the area. His lack of knowledge allowed us into the class D area. The captain's disregard for altitude restrs. Even had we maintained 1000 ft AGL, the captain was operating recklessly. People in boats and on shore seemed less than amused. Contributing factors: my overconfidence in the captain's judgement to decline the IFR clearance and perform low level maneuvers in an area that he seemed to know his exact location. My failure to speak up and state that we should not be performing low level maneuvers. My only comment was, 'you must not want your job any more. Ha ha....' I should have stated, 'for safety considerations, I suggest we climb. Your brother will still see us.' supplemental information from acn 271080: after the last pass (which ground clearance was fine for that area of population), I started to climb and out of 2500 ft MSL over the nose I saw pontiac airport. I increased my climb rate but I think I was within 5 SM of the airport. Continued the climb very fast till I was above the air traffic area. Thought about contacting the tower and did not. By then I was well above the air traffic area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARGO FLT DOES LOW ALT MANEUVERS AND ENTERS CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: THIS IS MY FIRST JOB AS A FO. ALTHOUGH THE ACFT TYPE IS SINGLE PLT CERTIFIED, OPS SPECS REQUIRE A SIC IN ALL COMPANY ACFT. ALTHOUGH I HAVE READ MANY PUBS ABOUT FO'S WHO SAT SILENT THROUGH A VIOLATION/ACCIDENT/INCIDENT, I VOWED NEVER TO BE THE SILENT OBSERVER. I GOT TO THE ACFT, PREFLTED AND PICKED UP OUR IFR. BEFORE TAXI, THE CAPT STATED WE WOULD DEPART VFR. THE CAPT'S BROTHER WAS PUTTING IN A BOAT DOCK AND THE CAPT WANTED TO FLY OVER HIS BROTHER'S HOUSE. OUR VFR CRUISE WAS AT 2000 FT MSL DEPARTING THE INTL METRO ARPT TOWARD THE SUBURBS. THE CAPT, WHO IS A NATIVE TO THE AREA, IMPRESSED ME WITH HIS KNOWLEDGE OF VFR LANDMARKS. AS WE APCHED THE SMALL, INLAND LAKE, THE CAPT STATED THAT PTK CLASS D SURFACE AREA WAS NE OF OUR POS AT 15 MI. OVER THE LAKE WE DSNDED TO 1000 FT AGL. THE CAPT'S ONLY STATEMENT TO ME WAS, 'WE'RE 1000 FT MSL SO WE'RE LEGAL, RIGHT? RIGHT!!' I SAT SILENT AND WENT ALONG FOR THE RIDE AS THE CAPT WOULD GUN THE ENGS, EXCESSIVELY BANK AND DSND TO 400 FT AGL. EXITING THE AREA N, THE CAPT PULLED THE NOSE UP EXCESSIVELY FOR A DRAMATIC CLBOUT. DURING CLBOUT I FOUND PTK ARPT WAS NOT 15 MI NE, BUT RIGHT UNDER US! OUR MANEUVERING HAD BEEN WITHIN THE CLASS D AREA AND OUR CLBOUT TOOK US RIGHT OVER THE RWY AT 1000 FT AGL. MAIN FACTORS IN THIS EVENT: THE CAPT'S DISREGARD OF COMPANY PROCS PROHIBITING LOW LEVEL MANEUVERING EXCEPT FOR TRAINING. WE SHOULD HAVE DEPARTED ON OUR CLRNC. NO QUESTIONS! THE CAPT'S OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE AREA. HIS LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ALLOWED US INTO THE CLASS D AREA. THE CAPT'S DISREGARD FOR ALT RESTRS. EVEN HAD WE MAINTAINED 1000 FT AGL, THE CAPT WAS OPERATING RECKLESSLY. PEOPLE IN BOATS AND ON SHORE SEEMED LESS THAN AMUSED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: MY OVERCONFIDENCE IN THE CAPT'S JUDGEMENT TO DECLINE THE IFR CLRNC AND PERFORM LOW LEVEL MANEUVERS IN AN AREA THAT HE SEEMED TO KNOW HIS EXACT LOCATION. MY FAILURE TO SPEAK UP AND STATE THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE PERFORMING LOW LEVEL MANEUVERS. MY ONLY COMMENT WAS, 'YOU MUST NOT WANT YOUR JOB ANY MORE. HA HA....' I SHOULD HAVE STATED, 'FOR SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS, I SUGGEST WE CLB. YOUR BROTHER WILL STILL SEE US.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 271080: AFTER THE LAST PASS (WHICH GND CLRNC WAS FINE FOR THAT AREA OF POPULATION), I STARTED TO CLB AND OUT OF 2500 FT MSL OVER THE NOSE I SAW PONTIAC ARPT. I INCREASED MY CLB RATE BUT I THINK I WAS WITHIN 5 SM OF THE ARPT. CONTINUED THE CLB VERY FAST TILL I WAS ABOVE THE ATA. THOUGHT ABOUT CONTACTING THE TWR AND DID NOT. BY THEN I WAS WELL ABOVE THE ATA.

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.