Narrative:

About 3 months later we were again paired, by this time the base had him rumored as a captain who was high strung and one that didn't like turbulence. Taxiing out to runway 28C at pit the ramp controller told us to hold short of delta 3 and contact ground there. We did. There was however, a stuck microphone on 121.90. On the second attempt ground cleared us to runway 28C via taxiway east. Not wanting to miss a call, I switched to the appropriate tower frequency and told tower we were cleared to runway 28C via echo by ground, but wanted to stay with them because there was stuck microphone on 21.9. They said ok we see you. The interference was making the captain edgy, to say the least. We are now 1 quarter way to the runway, he is taxiing fast and we hear 'terrain, terrain! Pull up, whoop whoop pull up!!!!'. We test the GPWS, it doesn't test and there is no caution light to indicate there is a problem with the unit, yet there should be. Halfway there he clicks on the wipers and an unusual quiet in the cockpit replaces the usual racket one experiences when the wipers are selected to on. Only the blade on his side is operative. Mine is stationary. Right after that the low speed compressor gauge slides out and if not for a wire harness, it would have undoubtedly fallen entirely out of the instrument panel. We are now almost at the hold short line, it is apparent that he wants to continue to our next destination. I am thinking that maybe there he will want to call maintenance, remembering that you can only MEL the wiper if it's not raining. There is a SIGMET out for WX, thunderstorms, I know this because after reading it myself, he read it to me at the gate. We hear the tower clearing another plane, 'so and so, cleared for takeoff, wind gusting to 39 KTS,' he says, 'holy shit, 39 KTS, don't tell them we are ready I want to have a look at the radar first.' unfortunately, in pit there is no run-up area or holding box. The hold short line faces incoming traffic and it is not 90 degrees to the runway. There is however a taxiway leading to the military. I told him 'why not do a 180 degree in that opening and have a look' because he is, by now, getting agitated. His head is moving side to side and he is squirming like a second grader trying to get the teacher's attention for the bathroom. Much to my chagrin, instead of easing to the left and doing a right 180 he pulls into the apron by making a left turn. This is where I realized it was going to be a problem. We had taxied out with only the #1 engine running, a company fuel saving policy that like this time ends up creating utter chaos. I look up in time to see us crossing a fat red line painted on the apron to the military, behind it is a black box with large white lettering, which, of course I cannot read because my windshield wiper is busted and it is raining. I am remembering various stories about student pilots that mistook military bases for civil fields. All these stories had a common plot. The wayward pilot always found himself looking down the barrel of an M16 as he was ordered to kiss the pavement. At that very moment, a pick-up truck comes speeding towards us, it's a military police vehicle, this I know because its red flashing lights remind me of a cop car. I tell captain we went over the red line, let's get the $%&* out of here. We do, by now the tower is calling us, 'xx air carrier do you know where you are?' I exaggerate and tell him we never crossed the line and we are just trying to peek at the radar. Frantically he clears us into position to look at the WX, it's suddenly very quiet on the once congested frequency, I mess up the call sign, the tower is now more confused, and we are finally cleared to go. As we takeoff, I see the military police poised at the entrance to their ramp, their lights are off but they appear to be guarding their turf. The flight home is quiet. The tower has told us 'no sweat.' if they call we'll smooth it over. I'm thinking great, thank god they didn't storm the plane. Then in operations, our dispatcher informs us that pit operations called him and asked for the crew's names. He called pilot group and they told us not to talk to the FAA and to file a NASA report. Contributing factors: 1) rushing. 2) flying a busted aircraft. If the wipers worked he might himself seen the line. 3) taxiing single engine. In this case it should have made him turn. But since he chose a left turn then he had to go further into their ramp to turn into the good engine. 4) I should have said 'look, plane's busted, let's talk about what we are going to do. He flew 1 more leg and then we ferried to a maintenance base??? Note: our operations specifications say that the PIC can fly a busted plane to the next point/airport and MEL it there. I assumed he knew the plane was broken and could comply with MEL. Much to my chagrin, I later found out it was not a company item. Supplemental information from acn 322907: as we approached the end of runway 28C, several reports were broadcast of winds now gusting over 30 KTS. I was now concerned about taking off with possible windshear. In order to swing the aircraft around 360 degrees to assess the WX in the area with our onboard WX radar and not knowing whether anyone might be behind us on the taxiway. I turned the aircraft onto the stub that leads into the military apron. Because tower was busy, we were not able to inform him of our actions until after assessing that the WX in the area was suitable for takeoff and began turning back to taxiway east. Tower asked if we knew where we were and we explained what we had done. Tower's last comment was 'don't worry about it if they call, I'll straighten it out.' let me add that the chart for pit 20- 9 dated nov/3/95 does not show any prohibited or restr area nor are there any fdc NOTAMS or local NOTAMS concerning this nor did we observe any signs prohibiting taxi or entry into that area. I wanted a thorough and complete look at the WX, so a decision could be made to takeoff or wait. I did not want to delay or stop departures by being on the active taxiway or runway conducting my WX radar sweep.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC TAXIES INTO A MIL RESTR AREA.

Narrative: ABOUT 3 MONTHS LATER WE WERE AGAIN PAIRED, BY THIS TIME THE BASE HAD HIM RUMORED AS A CAPT WHO WAS HIGH STRUNG AND ONE THAT DIDN'T LIKE TURB. TAXIING OUT TO RWY 28C AT PIT THE RAMP CTLR TOLD US TO HOLD SHORT OF DELTA 3 AND CONTACT GND THERE. WE DID. THERE WAS HOWEVER, A STUCK MIKE ON 121.90. ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT GND CLRED US TO RWY 28C VIA TXWY E. NOT WANTING TO MISS A CALL, I SWITCHED TO THE APPROPRIATE TWR FREQ AND TOLD TWR WE WERE CLRED TO RWY 28C VIA ECHO BY GND, BUT WANTED TO STAY WITH THEM BECAUSE THERE WAS STUCK MIKE ON 21.9. THEY SAID OK WE SEE YOU. THE INTERFERENCE WAS MAKING THE CAPT EDGY, TO SAY THE LEAST. WE ARE NOW 1 QUARTER WAY TO THE RWY, HE IS TAXIING FAST AND WE HEAR 'TERRAIN, TERRAIN! PULL UP, WHOOP WHOOP PULL UP!!!!'. WE TEST THE GPWS, IT DOESN'T TEST AND THERE IS NO CAUTION LIGHT TO INDICATE THERE IS A PROB WITH THE UNIT, YET THERE SHOULD BE. HALFWAY THERE HE CLICKS ON THE WIPERS AND AN UNUSUAL QUIET IN THE COCKPIT REPLACES THE USUAL RACKET ONE EXPERIENCES WHEN THE WIPERS ARE SELECTED TO ON. ONLY THE BLADE ON HIS SIDE IS OPERATIVE. MINE IS STATIONARY. RIGHT AFTER THAT THE LOW SPD COMPRESSOR GAUGE SLIDES OUT AND IF NOT FOR A WIRE HARNESS, IT WOULD HAVE UNDOUBTEDLY FALLEN ENTIRELY OUT OF THE INST PANEL. WE ARE NOW ALMOST AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE, IT IS APPARENT THAT HE WANTS TO CONTINUE TO OUR NEXT DEST. I AM THINKING THAT MAYBE THERE HE WILL WANT TO CALL MAINT, REMEMBERING THAT YOU CAN ONLY MEL THE WIPER IF IT'S NOT RAINING. THERE IS A SIGMET OUT FOR WX, TSTMS, I KNOW THIS BECAUSE AFTER READING IT MYSELF, HE READ IT TO ME AT THE GATE. WE HEAR THE TWR CLRING ANOTHER PLANE, 'SO AND SO, CLRED FOR TKOF, WIND GUSTING TO 39 KTS,' HE SAYS, 'HOLY SHIT, 39 KTS, DON'T TELL THEM WE ARE READY I WANT TO HAVE A LOOK AT THE RADAR FIRST.' UNFORTUNATELY, IN PIT THERE IS NO RUN-UP AREA OR HOLDING BOX. THE HOLD SHORT LINE FACES INCOMING TFC AND IT IS NOT 90 DEGS TO THE RWY. THERE IS HOWEVER A TXWY LEADING TO THE MIL. I TOLD HIM 'WHY NOT DO A 180 DEG IN THAT OPENING AND HAVE A LOOK' BECAUSE HE IS, BY NOW, GETTING AGITATED. HIS HEAD IS MOVING SIDE TO SIDE AND HE IS SQUIRMING LIKE A SECOND GRADER TRYING TO GET THE TEACHER'S ATTENTION FOR THE BATHROOM. MUCH TO MY CHAGRIN, INSTEAD OF EASING TO THE L AND DOING A R 180 HE PULLS INTO THE APRON BY MAKING A L TURN. THIS IS WHERE I REALIZED IT WAS GOING TO BE A PROB. WE HAD TAXIED OUT WITH ONLY THE #1 ENG RUNNING, A COMPANY FUEL SAVING POLICY THAT LIKE THIS TIME ENDS UP CREATING UTTER CHAOS. I LOOK UP IN TIME TO SEE US XING A FAT RED LINE PAINTED ON THE APRON TO THE MIL, BEHIND IT IS A BLACK BOX WITH LARGE WHITE LETTERING, WHICH, OF COURSE I CANNOT READ BECAUSE MY WINDSHIELD WIPER IS BUSTED AND IT IS RAINING. I AM REMEMBERING VARIOUS STORIES ABOUT STUDENT PLTS THAT MISTOOK MIL BASES FOR CIVIL FIELDS. ALL THESE STORIES HAD A COMMON PLOT. THE WAYWARD PLT ALWAYS FOUND HIMSELF LOOKING DOWN THE BARREL OF AN M16 AS HE WAS ORDERED TO KISS THE PAVEMENT. AT THAT VERY MOMENT, A PICK-UP TRUCK COMES SPDING TOWARDS US, IT'S A MIL POLICE VEHICLE, THIS I KNOW BECAUSE ITS RED FLASHING LIGHTS REMIND ME OF A COP CAR. I TELL CAPT WE WENT OVER THE RED LINE, LET'S GET THE $%&* OUT OF HERE. WE DO, BY NOW THE TWR IS CALLING US, 'XX ACR DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE?' I EXAGGERATE AND TELL HIM WE NEVER CROSSED THE LINE AND WE ARE JUST TRYING TO PEEK AT THE RADAR. FRANTICALLY HE CLRS US INTO POS TO LOOK AT THE WX, IT'S SUDDENLY VERY QUIET ON THE ONCE CONGESTED FREQ, I MESS UP THE CALL SIGN, THE TWR IS NOW MORE CONFUSED, AND WE ARE FINALLY CLRED TO GO. AS WE TKOF, I SEE THE MIL POLICE POISED AT THE ENTRANCE TO THEIR RAMP, THEIR LIGHTS ARE OFF BUT THEY APPEAR TO BE GUARDING THEIR TURF. THE FLT HOME IS QUIET. THE TWR HAS TOLD US 'NO SWEAT.' IF THEY CALL WE'LL SMOOTH IT OVER. I'M THINKING GREAT, THANK GOD THEY DIDN'T STORM THE PLANE. THEN IN OPS, OUR DISPATCHER INFORMS US THAT PIT OPS CALLED HIM AND ASKED FOR THE CREW'S NAMES. HE CALLED PILOT GROUP AND THEY TOLD US NOT TO TALK TO THE FAA AND TO FILE A NASA RPT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) RUSHING. 2) FLYING A BUSTED ACFT. IF THE WIPERS WORKED HE MIGHT HIMSELF SEEN THE LINE. 3) TAXIING SINGLE ENG. IN THIS CASE IT SHOULD HAVE MADE HIM TURN. BUT SINCE HE CHOSE A L TURN THEN HE HAD TO GO FURTHER INTO THEIR RAMP TO TURN INTO THE GOOD ENG. 4) I SHOULD HAVE SAID 'LOOK, PLANE'S BUSTED, LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO. HE FLEW 1 MORE LEG AND THEN WE FERRIED TO A MAINT BASE??? NOTE: OUR OPS SPECS SAY THAT THE PIC CAN FLY A BUSTED PLANE TO THE NEXT POINT/ARPT AND MEL IT THERE. I ASSUMED HE KNEW THE PLANE WAS BROKEN AND COULD COMPLY WITH MEL. MUCH TO MY CHAGRIN, I LATER FOUND OUT IT WAS NOT A COMPANY ITEM. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 322907: AS WE APCHED THE END OF RWY 28C, SEVERAL RPTS WERE BROADCAST OF WINDS NOW GUSTING OVER 30 KTS. I WAS NOW CONCERNED ABOUT TAKING OFF WITH POSSIBLE WINDSHEAR. IN ORDER TO SWING THE ACFT AROUND 360 DEGS TO ASSESS THE WX IN THE AREA WITH OUR ONBOARD WX RADAR AND NOT KNOWING WHETHER ANYONE MIGHT BE BEHIND US ON THE TXWY. I TURNED THE ACFT ONTO THE STUB THAT LEADS INTO THE MIL APRON. BECAUSE TWR WAS BUSY, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO INFORM HIM OF OUR ACTIONS UNTIL AFTER ASSESSING THAT THE WX IN THE AREA WAS SUITABLE FOR TKOF AND BEGAN TURNING BACK TO TXWY E. TWR ASKED IF WE KNEW WHERE WE WERE AND WE EXPLAINED WHAT WE HAD DONE. TWR'S LAST COMMENT WAS 'DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT IF THEY CALL, I'LL STRAIGHTEN IT OUT.' LET ME ADD THAT THE CHART FOR PIT 20- 9 DATED NOV/3/95 DOES NOT SHOW ANY PROHIBITED OR RESTR AREA NOR ARE THERE ANY FDC NOTAMS OR LCL NOTAMS CONCERNING THIS NOR DID WE OBSERVE ANY SIGNS PROHIBITING TAXI OR ENTRY INTO THAT AREA. I WANTED A THOROUGH AND COMPLETE LOOK AT THE WX, SO A DECISION COULD BE MADE TO TKOF OR WAIT. I DID NOT WANT TO DELAY OR STOP DEPS BY BEING ON THE ACTIVE TXWY OR RWY CONDUCTING MY WX RADAR SWEEP.

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.