Narrative:

We were scheduled for an XA20 departure, but due to WX (severe WX line from west of mkc stretching across missouri to the east), we finally departed at XB10 ct. My comments to cancel the flight due to the WX, short distance (140 SM), low cruising altitude and importance of the 'mission' were ignored by the chief pilot. Once we were flying, further advisories of mine to return to mkc or to land at springfield, mo, were ignored. The chief pilot was determined to reach aiz. Each time we were heading north towards aiz (we were on the south side of the thunderstorm line) we had solid red on the radar. To reach his goal, the chief pilot asked for lower and lower altitudes. At one attempt at 7000 ft we had to make a 180 degree turn because we couldn't get lower and ran into severe turbulence. We exited the front to the south into VFR conditions, flew further east to maples VOR and tried again to get through at 5000 ft. The chief pilot flew through solid red, lots of rain and turbulence and finally got out on the north side of the line. WX at aiz was not VFR, but at 2 mi distance we saw the runway and he accepted a visual approach clearance from ATC. We had to make a very tight turn overhead to line up with the runway and land. This was a flight the PIC (chief pilot) should have canceled or aborted after our 180 degree turn. Poor judgement, ego driven decision making process, no crew input allowed (or ignored or rejected) or asked for. After the flight the chief pilot told everyone in the department how good we were to pull this one off and how little ATC did to help. (ATC did an excellent job to put up with 2 idiots flying in such WX!) my decision is to get out of this flight department before the chief pilot kills someone. (Previous flts which were questionable.) problems can not get resolved because management 100 percent backs the chief pilot (even during previous problems with maintenance and illegal logbook entries). I am upset with myself for not being more forceful (previous department/company history would probably lead to firing after interfering with chief pilot) to 'make' the chief pilot change his mind. To change this chief pilot's mind would mean to take the aircraft away by force. You know what that would lead to!! Next day at phf the chief pilot again accepted a visual approach without being VFR or meeting any VFR requirements. We even lost sight of phf because we had to fly through a cloud layer. When and how will the FAA be able to remove pilots like our chief pilot? His ego and immunity from any responsibility affects and will adversely affect the good reputation the aviation community is striving for.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CPR FO RPTS SEVERAL ENCOUNTERS WITH WX THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED EXCEPT THAT THE CHIEF PLT (FLYING THE BAE800) INSISTS ON PRESSING THROUGH THE TSTMS.

Narrative: WE WERE SCHEDULED FOR AN XA20 DEP, BUT DUE TO WX (SEVERE WX LINE FROM W OF MKC STRETCHING ACROSS MISSOURI TO THE E), WE FINALLY DEPARTED AT XB10 CT. MY COMMENTS TO CANCEL THE FLT DUE TO THE WX, SHORT DISTANCE (140 SM), LOW CRUISING ALT AND IMPORTANCE OF THE 'MISSION' WERE IGNORED BY THE CHIEF PLT. ONCE WE WERE FLYING, FURTHER ADVISORIES OF MINE TO RETURN TO MKC OR TO LAND AT SPRINGFIELD, MO, WERE IGNORED. THE CHIEF PLT WAS DETERMINED TO REACH AIZ. EACH TIME WE WERE HEADING N TOWARDS AIZ (WE WERE ON THE S SIDE OF THE TSTM LINE) WE HAD SOLID RED ON THE RADAR. TO REACH HIS GOAL, THE CHIEF PLT ASKED FOR LOWER AND LOWER ALTS. AT ONE ATTEMPT AT 7000 FT WE HAD TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN BECAUSE WE COULDN'T GET LOWER AND RAN INTO SEVERE TURB. WE EXITED THE FRONT TO THE S INTO VFR CONDITIONS, FLEW FURTHER E TO MAPLES VOR AND TRIED AGAIN TO GET THROUGH AT 5000 FT. THE CHIEF PLT FLEW THROUGH SOLID RED, LOTS OF RAIN AND TURB AND FINALLY GOT OUT ON THE N SIDE OF THE LINE. WX AT AIZ WAS NOT VFR, BUT AT 2 MI DISTANCE WE SAW THE RWY AND HE ACCEPTED A VISUAL APCH CLRNC FROM ATC. WE HAD TO MAKE A VERY TIGHT TURN OVERHEAD TO LINE UP WITH THE RWY AND LAND. THIS WAS A FLT THE PIC (CHIEF PLT) SHOULD HAVE CANCELED OR ABORTED AFTER OUR 180 DEG TURN. POOR JUDGEMENT, EGO DRIVEN DECISION MAKING PROCESS, NO CREW INPUT ALLOWED (OR IGNORED OR REJECTED) OR ASKED FOR. AFTER THE FLT THE CHIEF PLT TOLD EVERYONE IN THE DEPT HOW GOOD WE WERE TO PULL THIS ONE OFF AND HOW LITTLE ATC DID TO HELP. (ATC DID AN EXCELLENT JOB TO PUT UP WITH 2 IDIOTS FLYING IN SUCH WX!) MY DECISION IS TO GET OUT OF THIS FLT DEPT BEFORE THE CHIEF PLT KILLS SOMEONE. (PREVIOUS FLTS WHICH WERE QUESTIONABLE.) PROBS CAN NOT GET RESOLVED BECAUSE MGMNT 100 PERCENT BACKS THE CHIEF PLT (EVEN DURING PREVIOUS PROBS WITH MAINT AND ILLEGAL LOGBOOK ENTRIES). I AM UPSET WITH MYSELF FOR NOT BEING MORE FORCEFUL (PREVIOUS DEPT/COMPANY HISTORY WOULD PROBABLY LEAD TO FIRING AFTER INTERFERING WITH CHIEF PLT) TO 'MAKE' THE CHIEF PLT CHANGE HIS MIND. TO CHANGE THIS CHIEF PLT'S MIND WOULD MEAN TO TAKE THE ACFT AWAY BY FORCE. YOU KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD LEAD TO!! NEXT DAY AT PHF THE CHIEF PLT AGAIN ACCEPTED A VISUAL APCH WITHOUT BEING VFR OR MEETING ANY VFR REQUIREMENTS. WE EVEN LOST SIGHT OF PHF BECAUSE WE HAD TO FLY THROUGH A CLOUD LAYER. WHEN AND HOW WILL THE FAA BE ABLE TO REMOVE PLTS LIKE OUR CHIEF PLT? HIS EGO AND IMMUNITY FROM ANY RESPONSIBILITY AFFECTS AND WILL ADVERSELY AFFECT THE GOOD REPUTATION THE AVIATION COMMUNITY IS STRIVING FOR.

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.