Narrative:

I am a technical assistant for an aviation company. The chief pilot, requested that I do the flight planning and operate the radio for the fdk to teb leg. I had not made 3 takeoffs and 3 lndgs in 90 days, so I could not act as PIC. The chief pilot requested that I put his name on the flight plan. Although he was the PIC, he holds a commercial pilot certificate, and I hold an ATP and CFI certificate. I was the sole manipulator of the flight controls from departure to the beginning of the ILS approach. I got an updated WX briefing in teb and filed an IFR flight plan for the return leg. The president's name was listed as the PIC for the return leg. The president holds a private pilot certificate with an instrument rating. I rode in the back seat on the way back to fdk. The chief pilot was the sole manipulator of the flight controls on this leg. He missed approach at fdk and decided to try it again. He missed the second approach and continued to hagerstown, md. The alternate filed was richmond, va. There was some discussion about equipment at the fdk airport causing a higher than normal minimum. I did not confirm if the 2 pilots were referring to aircraft equipment or airport ground equipment. In the future, I will confirm the status of the equipment and whether or not there is a MEL. Another issue that I should have confirmed was the WX in white plains, ny. The WX briefer offered white plains as an alternate. I was not sure if this airport was an authority/authorized alternate. I knew that at my earlier WX briefing richmond, va, was forecast for good VFR WX. For filing purposes, I felt it was safer to use an airport with good VFR WX since there was widespread low IFR WX throughout the northeast.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A C421 DIVERTED TO A DIFFERENT ALTERNATE ARPT THAN ORIGINALLY FLT PLANNED SINCE HE MADE 2 UNSUCCESSFUL ILS APCHS TO THE ORIGINAL DEST ARPT. PLT PAX QUESTIONED IF THIS WAS LEGAL UNDER THE FARS.

Narrative: I AM A TECHNICAL ASSISTANT FOR AN AVIATION COMPANY. THE CHIEF PLT, REQUESTED THAT I DO THE FLT PLANNING AND OPERATE THE RADIO FOR THE FDK TO TEB LEG. I HAD NOT MADE 3 TKOFS AND 3 LNDGS IN 90 DAYS, SO I COULD NOT ACT AS PIC. THE CHIEF PLT REQUESTED THAT I PUT HIS NAME ON THE FLT PLAN. ALTHOUGH HE WAS THE PIC, HE HOLDS A COMMERCIAL PLT CERTIFICATE, AND I HOLD AN ATP AND CFI CERTIFICATE. I WAS THE SOLE MANIPULATOR OF THE FLT CTLS FROM DEP TO THE BEGINNING OF THE ILS APCH. I GOT AN UPDATED WX BRIEFING IN TEB AND FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR THE RETURN LEG. THE PRESIDENT'S NAME WAS LISTED AS THE PIC FOR THE RETURN LEG. THE PRESIDENT HOLDS A PVT PLT CERTIFICATE WITH AN INST RATING. I RODE IN THE BACK SEAT ON THE WAY BACK TO FDK. THE CHIEF PLT WAS THE SOLE MANIPULATOR OF THE FLT CTLS ON THIS LEG. HE MISSED APCH AT FDK AND DECIDED TO TRY IT AGAIN. HE MISSED THE SECOND APCH AND CONTINUED TO HAGERSTOWN, MD. THE ALTERNATE FILED WAS RICHMOND, VA. THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT EQUIP AT THE FDK ARPT CAUSING A HIGHER THAN NORMAL MINIMUM. I DID NOT CONFIRM IF THE 2 PLTS WERE REFERRING TO ACFT EQUIP OR ARPT GND EQUIP. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL CONFIRM THE STATUS OF THE EQUIP AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A MEL. ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I SHOULD HAVE CONFIRMED WAS THE WX IN WHITE PLAINS, NY. THE WX BRIEFER OFFERED WHITE PLAINS AS AN ALTERNATE. I WAS NOT SURE IF THIS ARPT WAS AN AUTH ALTERNATE. I KNEW THAT AT MY EARLIER WX BRIEFING RICHMOND, VA, WAS FORECAST FOR GOOD VFR WX. FOR FILING PURPOSES, I FELT IT WAS SAFER TO USE AN ARPT WITH GOOD VFR WX SINCE THERE WAS WIDESPREAD LOW IFR WX THROUGHOUT THE NE.

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.