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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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The reporter could not get the right seat passenger to use oxygen at altitude 14000 ft when appropriate. The passenger was unruly prompting a diversion to an alternate. During approach passenger caused TRACON to direct a missed approach. The second approach and subsequent flight to original destination was without incident. The reporter indicated he was intimidated by the size, 230 pounds, and backgnd, 3000 hours flying time and former military, of the right seat passenger.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 325940 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199601 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : cma |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : ntd |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 39 flight time total : 630 flight time type : 150 |
| ASRS Report | 325940 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Pilot/passenger in right seat refused PIC direction to use oxygen on earlier 14000 ft segment -- admitted feeling confused even after descent to 12000 ft. PIC decided to land (ostensibly for fuel) at cma. Right seat occupant began to converse with PIC, speaking over controller, and then keying side ptt switch to talk to controller. PIC used 'isolate' switch while side passenger reached over and returned switch to intercom position, resulting in major confusion all around. Controller ordered climb from stepped down altitude and after a missed approach, a second approach was executed without further incident. PIC should have been more insistent on earlier use of oxygen by right seat passenger and more forceful in ordering cessation of interference (however, passenger was ex-military had 3000 hours and weighed 230 pounds!). Better preflight briefing might have also helped. I believe the cause of this incident was hypoxia in right seat passenger with resultant erosion of judgement. After 1/2 hour on ground at cma the 45 min continuation to smx was without any further incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: THE RPTR COULD NOT GET THE R SEAT PAX TO USE OXYGEN AT ALT 14000 FT WHEN APPROPRIATE. THE PAX WAS UNRULY PROMPTING A DIVERSION TO AN ALTERNATE. DURING APCH PAX CAUSED TRACON TO DIRECT A MISSED APCH. THE SECOND APCH AND SUBSEQUENT FLT TO ORIGINAL DEST WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE RPTR INDICATED HE WAS INTIMIDATED BY THE SIZE, 230 LBS, AND BACKGND, 3000 HRS FLYING TIME AND FORMER MIL, OF THE R SEAT PAX.
Narrative: PLT/PAX IN R SEAT REFUSED PIC DIRECTION TO USE OXYGEN ON EARLIER 14000 FT SEGMENT -- ADMITTED FEELING CONFUSED EVEN AFTER DSCNT TO 12000 FT. PIC DECIDED TO LAND (OSTENSIBLY FOR FUEL) AT CMA. R SEAT OCCUPANT BEGAN TO CONVERSE WITH PIC, SPEAKING OVER CTLR, AND THEN KEYING SIDE PTT SWITCH TO TALK TO CTLR. PIC USED 'ISOLATE' SWITCH WHILE SIDE PAX REACHED OVER AND RETURNED SWITCH TO INTERCOM POS, RESULTING IN MAJOR CONFUSION ALL AROUND. CTLR ORDERED CLB FROM STEPPED DOWN ALT AND AFTER A MISSED APCH, A SECOND APCH WAS EXECUTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. PIC SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE INSISTENT ON EARLIER USE OF OXYGEN BY R SEAT PAX AND MORE FORCEFUL IN ORDERING CESSATION OF INTERFERENCE (HOWEVER, PAX WAS EX-MIL HAD 3000 HRS AND WEIGHED 230 LBS!). BETTER PREFLT BRIEFING MIGHT HAVE ALSO HELPED. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS HYPOXIA IN R SEAT PAX WITH RESULTANT EROSION OF JUDGEMENT. AFTER 1/2 HR ON GND AT CMA THE 45 MIN CONTINUATION TO SMX WAS WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENT.
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.