<< >> NASA ASRS Report 306704, June 1995

Pilot of an small transport float plane stranded on a river, unable to notify FSS to close flight plan.

Attributes
ACN	306704
Time
Date	199506
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hom
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : parked other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	306704
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After warming up radial engine, shut down and was sailing aircraft back downriver to obtain adequate takeoff room and engine failed to start due to dead battery. No nearby communications or other aircraft to advise FSS of overdue on flight plan. Tried to contact fishing boats on VHF, to no avail. Coast guard was notified and was already airborne due to another aircraft late on flight plan to kenai. Company aircraft flew in and picked up passenger and hand start was successful. Elected not to fly passenger in marginal WX with no electrical system. FSS notified 2 1/2 hours after ETA. Would rather have had the wrath of the FAA than to attempt hand propping aircraft with no experienced people in aircraft in strong wing, 30 plus KTS and river current and incoming tide. Could only envision the progression of errors ending up in bloodshed or worse.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMT FLOAT PLANE STRANDED ON A RIVER, UNABLE TO NOTIFY FSS TO CLOSE FLT PLAN.

Narrative: AFTER WARMING UP RADIAL ENG, SHUT DOWN AND WAS SAILING ACFT BACK DOWNRIVER TO OBTAIN ADEQUATE TKOF ROOM AND ENG FAILED TO START DUE TO DEAD BATTERY. NO NEARBY COMS OR OTHER ACFT TO ADVISE FSS OF OVERDUE ON FLT PLAN. TRIED TO CONTACT FISHING BOATS ON VHF, TO NO AVAIL. COAST GUARD WAS NOTIFIED AND WAS ALREADY AIRBORNE DUE TO ANOTHER ACFT LATE ON FLT PLAN TO KENAI. COMPANY ACFT FLEW IN AND PICKED UP PAX AND HAND START WAS SUCCESSFUL. ELECTED NOT TO FLY PAX IN MARGINAL WX WITH NO ELECTRICAL SYS. FSS NOTIFIED 2 1/2 HRS AFTER ETA. WOULD RATHER HAVE HAD THE WRATH OF THE FAA THAN TO ATTEMPT HAND PROPPING ACFT WITH NO EXPERIENCED PEOPLE IN ACFT IN STRONG WING, 30 PLUS KTS AND RIVER CURRENT AND INCOMING TIDE. COULD ONLY ENVISION THE PROGRESSION OF ERRORS ENDING UP IN BLOODSHED OR WORSE.

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.