Grand canyon air tour operator, upon release from TRACON, climbed back into class B airspace.

Attributes
ACN	327590
Time
Date	199602
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bld airport : las
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5500 msl bound upper : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : las
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 2469 flight time type : 1187
ASRS Report	327590
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

My captain and I were in the middle of our workday of flying air tours over the grand canyon. Flight dispatch released us empty to the grand canyon in order to retrieve some passenger. We received the standard clearance from las vegas ATC and flew it uneventfully from the airport to the boulder city VOR. Once over the VOR, our typical release point from departure control, my captain told me to go ahead and sign-off with ATC. ATC went ahead and told us to squawk 1200. At the time we were level at 5500 ft. As soon as we were released he started a near maximum performance climb which isn't done, especially in an empty aircraft, at this point because there are still ledges of the class B airspace overhead. Since I wasn't sure of their altitudes, I got my charts out and quickly researched. By the time I found the information we were already back in the class B. I showed the captain the chart, which he looked at with initial suspicion, but then he pushed the nose over so as to avoid the last ledge. Nothing ever came of the airspace breach. This captain is one of those from the old school who doesn't put much stock in younger pilots in the right seat. I shouldn't have let that stop me from questioning him strongly before I looked at the chart.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GRAND CANYON AIR TOUR OPERATOR, UPON RELEASE FROM TRACON, CLBED BACK INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: MY CAPT AND I WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR WORKDAY OF FLYING AIR TOURS OVER THE GRAND CANYON. FLT DISPATCH RELEASED US EMPTY TO THE GRAND CANYON IN ORDER TO RETRIEVE SOME PAX. WE RECEIVED THE STANDARD CLRNC FROM LAS VEGAS ATC AND FLEW IT UNEVENTFULLY FROM THE ARPT TO THE BOULDER CITY VOR. ONCE OVER THE VOR, OUR TYPICAL RELEASE POINT FROM DEP CTL, MY CAPT TOLD ME TO GO AHEAD AND SIGN-OFF WITH ATC. ATC WENT AHEAD AND TOLD US TO SQUAWK 1200. AT THE TIME WE WERE LEVEL AT 5500 FT. AS SOON AS WE WERE RELEASED HE STARTED A NEAR MAX PERFORMANCE CLB WHICH ISN'T DONE, ESPECIALLY IN AN EMPTY ACFT, AT THIS POINT BECAUSE THERE ARE STILL LEDGES OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OVERHEAD. SINCE I WASN'T SURE OF THEIR ALTS, I GOT MY CHARTS OUT AND QUICKLY RESEARCHED. BY THE TIME I FOUND THE INFO WE WERE ALREADY BACK IN THE CLASS B. I SHOWED THE CAPT THE CHART, WHICH HE LOOKED AT WITH INITIAL SUSPICION, BUT THEN HE PUSHED THE NOSE OVER SO AS TO AVOID THE LAST LEDGE. NOTHING EVER CAME OF THE AIRSPACE BREACH. THIS CAPT IS ONE OF THOSE FROM THE OLD SCHOOL WHO DOESN'T PUT MUCH STOCK IN YOUNGER PLTS IN THE R SEAT. I SHOULDN'T HAVE LET THAT STOP ME FROM QUESTIONING HIM STRONGLY BEFORE I LOOKED AT THE CHART.

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.