Pilot of an small transport is ramp checked by a government law enforcement officer after carrying a...

Attributes
ACN	317015
Time
Date	199509
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : orl
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pit
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Baron 58/58TC
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1560 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	317015
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

A passenger at the pgu airport had his flight canceled and needed to get home (orlando, fl). Airport personnel told him of an aircraft that was capable of flying him home was rented out by the owner of the aircraft. Passenger agreed with airport personnel that this would be the best option for him. Airport personnel called me to see if I was willing to fly him in the owner's aircraft. I agreed as long as the passenger paid for the rental of the plane ($300/hour). The passenger said he had no problem with that. The owner did not have any past dealings with this person and was not comfortable accepting a check. I own a small business that accepts credit cards and told them I would run it through my (credit check). We estimated the trip would take 6 hours so I put $1800 on passenger credit card. The full $1800 was paid to the owner in the form of a check a few days later. On arrival in orlando an officer confronted me and the passenger. He asked the passenger if he had paid to be brought to orl and he said yes. The sheriff then accused me of flying charter without a 135 certificate. I explained the situation and he said he would need to contact the FAA and did so by telephone that night. After discussing with the FAA for approximately 15 mins he returned my license and medical and said the FAA would be contacting me monday to discuss further. I left 10 mins later and flew home to pgu. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the FAA investigated this incident and found no violation with regard to carrying passenger for hire. He was operating a beech model 58 baron aircraft. He further stated that this aircraft was not approved on his part 135 air taxi operating certificate due to the aircraft owner not wanting it chartered. Therefore, since the owner agreed to rent the aircraft per hour, the reporter took the trip on a private party basis with expenses covered by the renting party, the passenger!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMT IS RAMP CHKED BY A GOV LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER AFTER CARRYING ARRIVING WITH A PAX WHO HAD PAID FOR THE TRIP.

Narrative: A PAX AT THE PGU ARPT HAD HIS FLT CANCELED AND NEEDED TO GET HOME (ORLANDO, FL). ARPT PERSONNEL TOLD HIM OF AN ACFT THAT WAS CAPABLE OF FLYING HIM HOME WAS RENTED OUT BY THE OWNER OF THE ACFT. PAX AGREED WITH ARPT PERSONNEL THAT THIS WOULD BE THE BEST OPTION FOR HIM. ARPT PERSONNEL CALLED ME TO SEE IF I WAS WILLING TO FLY HIM IN THE OWNER'S ACFT. I AGREED AS LONG AS THE PAX PAID FOR THE RENTAL OF THE PLANE ($300/HR). THE PAX SAID HE HAD NO PROB WITH THAT. THE OWNER DID NOT HAVE ANY PAST DEALINGS WITH THIS PERSON AND WAS NOT COMFORTABLE ACCEPTING A CHK. I OWN A SMALL BUSINESS THAT ACCEPTS CREDIT CARDS AND TOLD THEM I WOULD RUN IT THROUGH MY (CREDIT CHK). WE ESTIMATED THE TRIP WOULD TAKE 6 HRS SO I PUT $1800 ON PAX CREDIT CARD. THE FULL $1800 WAS PAID TO THE OWNER IN THE FORM OF A CHK A FEW DAYS LATER. ON ARR IN ORLANDO AN OFFICER CONFRONTED ME AND THE PAX. HE ASKED THE PAX IF HE HAD PAID TO BE BROUGHT TO ORL AND HE SAID YES. THE SHERIFF THEN ACCUSED ME OF FLYING CHARTER WITHOUT A 135 CERTIFICATE. I EXPLAINED THE SIT AND HE SAID HE WOULD NEED TO CONTACT THE FAA AND DID SO BY TELEPHONE THAT NIGHT. AFTER DISCUSSING WITH THE FAA FOR APPROX 15 MINS HE RETURNED MY LICENSE AND MEDICAL AND SAID THE FAA WOULD BE CONTACTING ME MONDAY TO DISCUSS FURTHER. I LEFT 10 MINS LATER AND FLEW HOME TO PGU. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE FAA INVESTIGATED THIS INCIDENT AND FOUND NO VIOLATION WITH REGARD TO CARRYING PAX FOR HIRE. HE WAS OPERATING A BEECH MODEL 58 BARON ACFT. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THIS ACFT WAS NOT APPROVED ON HIS PART 135 AIR TAXI OPERATING CERTIFICATE DUE TO THE ACFT OWNER NOT WANTING IT CHARTERED. THEREFORE, SINCE THE OWNER AGREED TO RENT THE ACFT PER HR, THE RPTR TOOK THE TRIP ON A PVT PARTY BASIS WITH EXPENSES COVERED BY THE RENTING PARTY, THE PAX!

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.

Pilot of an small transport is ramp checked by a government law enforcement officer after carrying arriving with a passenger who had paid for the trip.