Narrative:

I was accused of operating as a direct air carrier, in on-demand operations for compensation or hire in air commerce, without the certification and operations specifications for those operations. On may/xx/96, I departed from tupelo with passenger and landed at little rock, ar. I understood when I left tupelo that I was providing pilot service for a corporation which had leased an aircraft from xx. I provide pilot services for a number of aircraft based at tupelo which are owned by individuals and companies who either do not have full time pilots or need fill in pilots for vacations and illness. My customer representative had only been working for me a short time. The trip was not properly scheduled and should have been taken in the aircraft certified under far 135 which was available that morning. The trip was quoted by company X as a far 135 trip approximately 7 days earlier. The customer spoke with several people at company X before the trip was actually booked or scheduled. Ms X and I were out of town at an aviation seminar for approximately 5 days during the time of quote and booking of this trip. The day before the date of the trip ms X received a call from the customer asking about pilot qualifications. She was confused by this and scheduled the trip for me to fly assuming it was a pilot service request. I checked the schedule and when I arrived for the trip ms X was off and I did not talk with her before leaving that morning. This incident resulted from a clerical error and I had no knowledge when I left that it had been improperly scheduled. I was ramp checked in little rock, ar, and I told the inspector that I was flying a pilot service trip. After they left I called my office and ms X was still not at work. I called again later and learned that the trip had, in fact, been mis-scheduled and should have been dispatched in the far 135 certified aircraft. I immediately made arrangements personally for my passenger to return to tupelo on a charter flight from company Y. I received no compensation for this trip due to the scheduling error. I then returned to tupelo. To prevent any further confusion as to scheduling I have had a meeting with all personnel who answer the telephone and set up strict rules regarding scheduling of far 135 flts. All have been made aware of these rules and are in compliance with them at all times. This incident in no way jeopardized the safety of the passenger and resulted from a clerical error which has been corrected.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A CESSNA 340 CARRIED PAX FOR HIRE IN AN ACFT THAT WAS NOT APPROVED UNDER A PART 135 CHARTER OPS SPECS.

Narrative: I WAS ACCUSED OF OPERATING AS A DIRECT ACR, IN ON-DEMAND OPS FOR COMPENSATION OR HIRE IN AIR COMMERCE, WITHOUT THE CERTIFICATION AND OPS SPECS FOR THOSE OPS. ON MAY/XX/96, I DEPARTED FROM TUPELO WITH PAX AND LANDED AT LITTLE ROCK, AR. I UNDERSTOOD WHEN I LEFT TUPELO THAT I WAS PROVIDING PLT SVC FOR A CORPORATION WHICH HAD LEASED AN ACFT FROM XX. I PROVIDE PLT SVCS FOR A NUMBER OF ACFT BASED AT TUPELO WHICH ARE OWNED BY INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES WHO EITHER DO NOT HAVE FULL TIME PLTS OR NEED FILL IN PLTS FOR VACATIONS AND ILLNESS. MY CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVE HAD ONLY BEEN WORKING FOR ME A SHORT TIME. THE TRIP WAS NOT PROPERLY SCHEDULED AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN THE ACFT CERTIFIED UNDER FAR 135 WHICH WAS AVAILABLE THAT MORNING. THE TRIP WAS QUOTED BY COMPANY X AS A FAR 135 TRIP APPROX 7 DAYS EARLIER. THE CUSTOMER SPOKE WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE AT COMPANY X BEFORE THE TRIP WAS ACTUALLY BOOKED OR SCHEDULED. MS X AND I WERE OUT OF TOWN AT AN AVIATION SEMINAR FOR APPROX 5 DAYS DURING THE TIME OF QUOTE AND BOOKING OF THIS TRIP. THE DAY BEFORE THE DATE OF THE TRIP MS X RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE CUSTOMER ASKING ABOUT PLT QUALIFICATIONS. SHE WAS CONFUSED BY THIS AND SCHEDULED THE TRIP FOR ME TO FLY ASSUMING IT WAS A PLT SVC REQUEST. I CHKED THE SCHEDULE AND WHEN I ARRIVED FOR THE TRIP MS X WAS OFF AND I DID NOT TALK WITH HER BEFORE LEAVING THAT MORNING. THIS INCIDENT RESULTED FROM A CLERICAL ERROR AND I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE WHEN I LEFT THAT IT HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY SCHEDULED. I WAS RAMP CHKED IN LITTLE ROCK, AR, AND I TOLD THE INSPECTOR THAT I WAS FLYING A PLT SVC TRIP. AFTER THEY LEFT I CALLED MY OFFICE AND MS X WAS STILL NOT AT WORK. I CALLED AGAIN LATER AND LEARNED THAT THE TRIP HAD, IN FACT, BEEN MIS-SCHEDULED AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED IN THE FAR 135 CERTIFIED ACFT. I IMMEDIATELY MADE ARRANGEMENTS PERSONALLY FOR MY PAX TO RETURN TO TUPELO ON A CHARTER FLT FROM COMPANY Y. I RECEIVED NO COMPENSATION FOR THIS TRIP DUE TO THE SCHEDULING ERROR. I THEN RETURNED TO TUPELO. TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER CONFUSION AS TO SCHEDULING I HAVE HAD A MEETING WITH ALL PERSONNEL WHO ANSWER THE TELEPHONE AND SET UP STRICT RULES REGARDING SCHEDULING OF FAR 135 FLTS. ALL HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF THESE RULES AND ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THEM AT ALL TIMES. THIS INCIDENT IN NO WAY JEOPARDIZED THE SAFETY OF THE PAX AND RESULTED FROM A CLERICAL ERROR WHICH HAS BEEN CORRECTED.

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.