Narrative:

We operate 15 passenger turboprop out of small uncontrolled airport for sightseeing tour flight, mainly for foreign tourists, under part 135 scheduled commuter certificates. We operate 2 other aircraft types, one southeast carrying 5 passenger and other is me carrying 9 passenger. On top of the fact that we operate 3 different types of aircraft out of congested, small, and disorganized ramp area, our launches take place in a fleet. As many as 14 airplanes may be boarding and departing at the same time. This means there could be more than 100 people walking around the ramp, guided by pilots, while engine starting and taxiing of already boarded aircraft commence. This obviously raises some concern towards safety of passenger handling during boarding or unboarding. My second concern is that while all this boarding is going on, it was customary to have passenger take photographs in front of the airplane if they wished. Customer satisfaction is important as those passenger are foreigners who have never flown in small planes, but I have never liked this 'company custom' since some passenger do not hesitate to touch propellers or other parts of aircraft. Also, some passenger try to walk away from aircraft in order to take pictures from different angles while nearby aircraft is starting up or taxiing. It is very difficult to keep this whole loading process under control. Our company has just recently implemented the procedure to not have people take pictures in front of the aircraft, but rather have them do it from the rear of the aircraft. This helps to maintain safety, but I still see some problem as there might be a chance that an airplane might taxi behind our airplane. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is a foreign language speaker flying the be-99 for a grand canyon tour operator. He states that both of the problems that he listed in his reports have been corrected. His company management insists that all mechanical discrepancies be put into the logbook to be fixed immediately and that no passenger is now allowed to walk in front of any aircraft to take pictures. He is now aware of the FAA aviation safety hotline. He plans to continue a career flying in the united states rather than going home to work. No complaints had been made to the local FSDO regarding these sits.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN FAR PART 135 SIGHTSEEING TOUR PLT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HIS PAX'S SAFETY ON THE RAMP WHILE BOARDING.

Narrative: WE OPERATE 15 PAX TURBOPROP OUT OF SMALL UNCTLED ARPT FOR SIGHTSEEING TOUR FLT, MAINLY FOR FOREIGN TOURISTS, UNDER PART 135 SCHEDULED COMMUTER CERTIFICATES. WE OPERATE 2 OTHER ACFT TYPES, ONE SE CARRYING 5 PAX AND OTHER IS ME CARRYING 9 PAX. ON TOP OF THE FACT THAT WE OPERATE 3 DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACFT OUT OF CONGESTED, SMALL, AND DISORGANIZED RAMP AREA, OUR LAUNCHES TAKE PLACE IN A FLEET. AS MANY AS 14 AIRPLANES MAY BE BOARDING AND DEPARTING AT THE SAME TIME. THIS MEANS THERE COULD BE MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE WALKING AROUND THE RAMP, GUIDED BY PLTS, WHILE ENG STARTING AND TAXIING OF ALREADY BOARDED ACFT COMMENCE. THIS OBVIOUSLY RAISES SOME CONCERN TOWARDS SAFETY OF PAX HANDLING DURING BOARDING OR UNBOARDING. MY SECOND CONCERN IS THAT WHILE ALL THIS BOARDING IS GOING ON, IT WAS CUSTOMARY TO HAVE PAX TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS IN FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE IF THEY WISHED. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IS IMPORTANT AS THOSE PAX ARE FOREIGNERS WHO HAVE NEVER FLOWN IN SMALL PLANES, BUT I HAVE NEVER LIKED THIS 'COMPANY CUSTOM' SINCE SOME PAX DO NOT HESITATE TO TOUCH PROPS OR OTHER PARTS OF ACFT. ALSO, SOME PAX TRY TO WALK AWAY FROM ACFT IN ORDER TO TAKE PICTURES FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES WHILE NEARBY ACFT IS STARTING UP OR TAXIING. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO KEEP THIS WHOLE LOADING PROCESS UNDER CTL. OUR COMPANY HAS JUST RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED THE PROC TO NOT HAVE PEOPLE TAKE PICTURES IN FRONT OF THE ACFT, BUT RATHER HAVE THEM DO IT FROM THE REAR OF THE ACFT. THIS HELPS TO MAINTAIN SAFETY, BUT I STILL SEE SOME PROB AS THERE MIGHT BE A CHANCE THAT AN AIRPLANE MIGHT TAXI BEHIND OUR AIRPLANE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE SPEAKER FLYING THE BE-99 FOR A GRAND CANYON TOUR OPERATOR. HE STATES THAT BOTH OF THE PROBS THAT HE LISTED IN HIS RPTS HAVE BEEN CORRECTED. HIS COMPANY MGMNT INSISTS THAT ALL MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES BE PUT INTO THE LOGBOOK TO BE FIXED IMMEDIATELY AND THAT NO PAX IS NOW ALLOWED TO WALK IN FRONT OF ANY ACFT TO TAKE PICTURES. HE IS NOW AWARE OF THE FAA AVIATION SAFETY HOTLINE. HE PLANS TO CONTINUE A CAREER FLYING IN THE UNITED STATES RATHER THAN GOING HOME TO WORK. NO COMPLAINTS HAD BEEN MADE TO THE LCL FSDO REGARDING THESE SITS.

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.