Narrative:

The aircraft was a dehavilland beaver float plane departing from the ketchikan waterfront seaplane base. The ATIS reported westerly winds and west rtes in use. At the time of my takeoff the winds had switched to a southeast direction and would have required me to takeoff with a quartering tailwind. I elected to takeoff with a quartering head wind (approximately heading 170 degrees) which required a right turn after takeoff to return to the eastern shoreline to depart to the west. After starting my right turn I observed a C185 float plane heading easterly, but well beyond the centerline off the tongass channel (that is, the C185 was on the wrong side of centerline for west traffic flow). The C185 was approximately 3/4 mi ahead of me and was going to pass off my right wing. C185 was at approximately 700 ft AGL and I was approximately 200 ft AGL. The C185 was followed by a DHC2 float plane at approximately 800 ft AGL, but flying on the western shoreline of the tongass channel (the correct routing). In order for me to return to the east side of the channel I would have had to fly in front of the C185 and lose sight of it above my left wing. I elected to pass behind and below the C185, off its right wing and below and to the left of the H2. I didn't observe either aircraft make an evading maneuver and our passage distances were no closer than during many operations conducted in the harbor area. The H2 was approximately 1/4 mi behind and to the right of the C185, by approximately 400 ft. Within approximately 1 to 1 1/2 min the wind shift I had observed and noted was called by ketchikan radio and the rtes were changed from west to east. I was not overly familiar with the traffic rtes in tongass narrows as this was only my fifth day on-line here. Because my company is upgrading to twin engine turboprops I had almost no face to face training on the local operations. No diagrams of local traffic flow were used during training. This is unique airspace in my experience. Ketchikan radio issues an ATIS and TA's and will issue special VFR clrncs when below VFR minimums. There is even a special-special allowing float plane operation at 200-400 ft AGL east of the centerline of tongass narrows while IFR traffic is inbound or outbound. I have seen no printed literature regarding these operations. I only received approximately 10 mins of oral briefing concerning these matters during my 135 ground training. My guesstimation is that 90-95 percent of the aircraft operations in this area are float planes, yet the obs at ketchikan radio face the runway at the airport. The H2 may have been in their view, the C185 was almost certainly not in their view during the time I made my decision to pass behind it. Neither can they see the float plane dock on the airport side of the tongass narrows. Almost all wheelplane operations here are straight in and out operations requiring little observation. I feel that FAA pictorials of the special airspace of the ketchikan area traffic flows should be made available during ground training, and more time spent explaining the unique operational requirements of this area. And because so many float plane operations are conducted in remote site uncontrolled airspace many of us float pilots are not accustomed to these sort of operations. I was also starting my 13TH hour of my duty day. In short: better training by part 135 operators concerning these operational procedures. More readily available FAA published information on these operations to be used during training and familiarization to the area. Have better view for the people issuing the TA's. Shorter duty days for part 135 crews. Better observation of shifting winds in the harbor. Also, had I advised ketchikan radio of my takeoff route and intentions, I could have clarified the situation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the aircraft were no closer than 300 ft vertical and 300 ft horizontal and that this is normal separation for this type operation. He was more concerned about the lack of any published procedures for the traffic pattern. He normally flies out of juneau and the FSDO there has published an information flyer on specific chkpoints for local operations. It is very helpful and makes new pilots to the area more informed. He has spoken to his company and theymostly apologized for the minimal training he received as they were in a transition phase. Reporter would like to see something done for ketchikan to notify pilots of the local procedures. A simple line drawing is all that is needed and it should be posted in the pilot areas and placed in the training manuals. Reporter was encouraged to speak to the local FAA representatives regarding his suggestions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI FLOAT PLANE ENCOUNTERS ANOTHER FLOAT PLANE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE NARROWS FOR THE DIRECTION OF FLT.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS A DEHAVILLAND BEAVER FLOAT PLANE DEPARTING FROM THE KETCHIKAN WATERFRONT SEAPLANE BASE. THE ATIS RPTED WESTERLY WINDS AND W RTES IN USE. AT THE TIME OF MY TKOF THE WINDS HAD SWITCHED TO A SE DIRECTION AND WOULD HAVE REQUIRED ME TO TKOF WITH A QUARTERING TAILWIND. I ELECTED TO TKOF WITH A QUARTERING HEAD WIND (APPROX HDG 170 DEGS) WHICH REQUIRED A R TURN AFTER TKOF TO RETURN TO THE EASTERN SHORELINE TO DEPART TO THE W. AFTER STARTING MY R TURN I OBSERVED A C185 FLOAT PLANE HEADING EASTERLY, BUT WELL BEYOND THE CTRLINE OFF THE TONGASS CHANNEL (THAT IS, THE C185 WAS ON THE WRONG SIDE OF CTRLINE FOR W TFC FLOW). THE C185 WAS APPROX 3/4 MI AHEAD OF ME AND WAS GOING TO PASS OFF MY R WING. C185 WAS AT APPROX 700 FT AGL AND I WAS APPROX 200 FT AGL. THE C185 WAS FOLLOWED BY A DHC2 FLOAT PLANE AT APPROX 800 FT AGL, BUT FLYING ON THE WESTERN SHORELINE OF THE TONGASS CHANNEL (THE CORRECT ROUTING). IN ORDER FOR ME TO RETURN TO THE E SIDE OF THE CHANNEL I WOULD HAVE HAD TO FLY IN FRONT OF THE C185 AND LOSE SIGHT OF IT ABOVE MY L WING. I ELECTED TO PASS BEHIND AND BELOW THE C185, OFF ITS R WING AND BELOW AND TO THE L OF THE H2. I DIDN'T OBSERVE EITHER ACFT MAKE AN EVADING MANEUVER AND OUR PASSAGE DISTANCES WERE NO CLOSER THAN DURING MANY OPS CONDUCTED IN THE HARBOR AREA. THE H2 WAS APPROX 1/4 MI BEHIND AND TO THE R OF THE C185, BY APPROX 400 FT. WITHIN APPROX 1 TO 1 1/2 MIN THE WIND SHIFT I HAD OBSERVED AND NOTED WAS CALLED BY KETCHIKAN RADIO AND THE RTES WERE CHANGED FROM W TO E. I WAS NOT OVERLY FAMILIAR WITH THE TFC RTES IN TONGASS NARROWS AS THIS WAS ONLY MY FIFTH DAY ON-LINE HERE. BECAUSE MY COMPANY IS UPGRADING TO TWIN ENG TURBOPROPS I HAD ALMOST NO FACE TO FACE TRAINING ON THE LCL OPS. NO DIAGRAMS OF LCL TFC FLOW WERE USED DURING TRAINING. THIS IS UNIQUE AIRSPACE IN MY EXPERIENCE. KETCHIKAN RADIO ISSUES AN ATIS AND TA'S AND WILL ISSUE SPECIAL VFR CLRNCS WHEN BELOW VFR MINIMUMS. THERE IS EVEN A SPECIAL-SPECIAL ALLOWING FLOAT PLANE OP AT 200-400 FT AGL E OF THE CTRLINE OF TONGASS NARROWS WHILE IFR TFC IS INBOUND OR OUTBOUND. I HAVE SEEN NO PRINTED LITERATURE REGARDING THESE OPS. I ONLY RECEIVED APPROX 10 MINS OF ORAL BRIEFING CONCERNING THESE MATTERS DURING MY 135 GND TRAINING. MY GUESSTIMATION IS THAT 90-95 PERCENT OF THE ACFT OPS IN THIS AREA ARE FLOAT PLANES, YET THE OBS AT KETCHIKAN RADIO FACE THE RWY AT THE ARPT. THE H2 MAY HAVE BEEN IN THEIR VIEW, THE C185 WAS ALMOST CERTAINLY NOT IN THEIR VIEW DURING THE TIME I MADE MY DECISION TO PASS BEHIND IT. NEITHER CAN THEY SEE THE FLOAT PLANE DOCK ON THE ARPT SIDE OF THE TONGASS NARROWS. ALMOST ALL WHEELPLANE OPS HERE ARE STRAIGHT IN AND OUT OPS REQUIRING LITTLE OBSERVATION. I FEEL THAT FAA PICTORIALS OF THE SPECIAL AIRSPACE OF THE KETCHIKAN AREA TFC FLOWS SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE DURING GND TRAINING, AND MORE TIME SPENT EXPLAINING THE UNIQUE OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF THIS AREA. AND BECAUSE SO MANY FLOAT PLANE OPS ARE CONDUCTED IN REMOTE SITE UNCTLED AIRSPACE MANY OF US FLOAT PLTS ARE NOT ACCUSTOMED TO THESE SORT OF OPS. I WAS ALSO STARTING MY 13TH HR OF MY DUTY DAY. IN SHORT: BETTER TRAINING BY PART 135 OPERATORS CONCERNING THESE OPERATIONAL PROCS. MORE READILY AVAILABLE FAA PUBLISHED INFO ON THESE OPS TO BE USED DURING TRAINING AND FAMILIARIZATION TO THE AREA. HAVE BETTER VIEW FOR THE PEOPLE ISSUING THE TA'S. SHORTER DUTY DAYS FOR PART 135 CREWS. BETTER OBSERVATION OF SHIFTING WINDS IN THE HARBOR. ALSO, HAD I ADVISED KETCHIKAN RADIO OF MY TKOF RTE AND INTENTIONS, I COULD HAVE CLARIFIED THE SIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE ACFT WERE NO CLOSER THAN 300 FT VERT AND 300 FT HORIZ AND THAT THIS IS NORMAL SEPARATION FOR THIS TYPE OP. HE WAS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE LACK OF ANY PUBLISHED PROCS FOR THE TFC PATTERN. HE NORMALLY FLIES OUT OF JUNEAU AND THE FSDO THERE HAS PUBLISHED AN INFO FLYER ON SPECIFIC CHKPOINTS FOR LCL OPS. IT IS VERY HELPFUL AND MAKES NEW PLTS TO THE AREA MORE INFORMED. HE HAS SPOKEN TO HIS COMPANY AND THEYMOSTLY APOLOGIZED FOR THE MINIMAL TRAINING HE RECEIVED AS THEY WERE IN A TRANSITION PHASE. RPTR WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING DONE FOR KETCHIKAN TO NOTIFY PLTS OF THE LCL PROCS. A SIMPLE LINE DRAWING IS ALL THAT IS NEEDED AND IT SHOULD BE POSTED IN THE PLT AREAS AND PLACED IN THE TRAINING MANUALS. RPTR WAS ENCOURAGED TO SPEAK TO THE LCL FAA REPRESENTATIVES REGARDING HIS SUGGESTIONS.

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.