Narrative:

The problem began prior to takeoff roll when the captain selected flaps 25 degrees for takeoff. This deviates from our airline's standard procedures, which is takeoff with 15 degrees flaps. He did not give a briefing regarding this. Takeoff speeds and stabilizer setting were not modified. My position in the cockpit is flight engineer. After takeoff at about 300 ft AGL, captain calls for flaps 15 degrees, accelerated and pitched up to 24 degrees (nose up), then rolled into a 45 degree bank using 1.86 G's. All these numbers were taken out of the flight recorder, which was pulled out of the aircraft upon return to miami by the FAA. I am pending action by the FAA. No human factors exercised by the captain. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that the captain had apparently done similar stunts with the first officer before, but the first officer was afraid to speak against such activities in fear that the captain would have him punished or fired. This so was completely surprised by first, the use of a different and unbriefed flap setting, and second, the series of maneuvers after takeoff. The captain climbed to 200 ft AGL and accelerated to 195 KIAS while retracting the flaps to the 15 degree setting. Then he pitched the aircraft up to 24 degrees and rolled to 45 degrees of bank and turned to the departure heading. Unknown to the crew at the time, an FAA inspector was visiting ccs to discuss some other matters with tower personnel. This inspector witnessed the DC8 maneuvers and had other FAA inspectors meet the aircraft when it arrived in mia. These inspectors had the airline pull the flight recorder and check its record of the takeoff and initial climb. The company then made a full disclosure to the FAA and issued punishment to the crew. The first officer and the so were given 2 weeks off without pay and the captain was suspended for 6 months without pay and must fly as an first officer in the right seat for an additional 6 months of probation when he returns. The first officer reported that the captain had done several surprise maneuvers and variations to the normal flight profiles in the past and the captain had apparently warned the first officer that he would get him if he told anyone. The first officer apparently told the reporter that he had enrolled in an assertiveness course.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THIS SO ON A DC8 FREIGHTER WAS SURPRISED WHEN THE CAPT DECIDED TO PERFORM AN AIR SHOW TYPE OF MANEUVER FOR THE TKOF AND INITIAL CLB AS WAS AN FAA INSPECTOR AT THE ARPT.

Narrative: THE PROB BEGAN PRIOR TO TKOF ROLL WHEN THE CAPT SELECTED FLAPS 25 DEGS FOR TKOF. THIS DEVIATES FROM OUR AIRLINE'S STANDARD PROCS, WHICH IS TKOF WITH 15 DEGS FLAPS. HE DID NOT GIVE A BRIEFING REGARDING THIS. TKOF SPDS AND STABILIZER SETTING WERE NOT MODIFIED. MY POS IN THE COCKPIT IS FE. AFTER TKOF AT ABOUT 300 FT AGL, CAPT CALLS FOR FLAPS 15 DEGS, ACCELERATED AND PITCHED UP TO 24 DEGS (NOSE UP), THEN ROLLED INTO A 45 DEG BANK USING 1.86 G'S. ALL THESE NUMBERS WERE TAKEN OUT OF THE FLT RECORDER, WHICH WAS PULLED OUT OF THE ACFT UPON RETURN TO MIAMI BY THE FAA. I AM PENDING ACTION BY THE FAA. NO HUMAN FACTORS EXERCISED BY THE CAPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT THE CAPT HAD APPARENTLY DONE SIMILAR STUNTS WITH THE FO BEFORE, BUT THE FO WAS AFRAID TO SPEAK AGAINST SUCH ACTIVITIES IN FEAR THAT THE CAPT WOULD HAVE HIM PUNISHED OR FIRED. THIS SO WAS COMPLETELY SURPRISED BY FIRST, THE USE OF A DIFFERENT AND UNBRIEFED FLAP SETTING, AND SECOND, THE SERIES OF MANEUVERS AFTER TKOF. THE CAPT CLBED TO 200 FT AGL AND ACCELERATED TO 195 KIAS WHILE RETRACTING THE FLAPS TO THE 15 DEG SETTING. THEN HE PITCHED THE ACFT UP TO 24 DEGS AND ROLLED TO 45 DEGS OF BANK AND TURNED TO THE DEP HDG. UNKNOWN TO THE CREW AT THE TIME, AN FAA INSPECTOR WAS VISITING CCS TO DISCUSS SOME OTHER MATTERS WITH TWR PERSONNEL. THIS INSPECTOR WITNESSED THE DC8 MANEUVERS AND HAD OTHER FAA INSPECTORS MEET THE ACFT WHEN IT ARRIVED IN MIA. THESE INSPECTORS HAD THE AIRLINE PULL THE FLT RECORDER AND CHK ITS RECORD OF THE TKOF AND INITIAL CLB. THE COMPANY THEN MADE A FULL DISCLOSURE TO THE FAA AND ISSUED PUNISHMENT TO THE CREW. THE FO AND THE SO WERE GIVEN 2 WKS OFF WITHOUT PAY AND THE CAPT WAS SUSPENDED FOR 6 MONTHS WITHOUT PAY AND MUST FLY AS AN FO IN THE R SEAT FOR AN ADDITIONAL 6 MONTHS OF PROBATION WHEN HE RETURNS. THE FO RPTED THAT THE CAPT HAD DONE SEVERAL SURPRISE MANEUVERS AND VARIATIONS TO THE NORMAL FLT PROFILES IN THE PAST AND THE CAPT HAD APPARENTLY WARNED THE FO THAT HE WOULD GET HIM IF HE TOLD ANYONE. THE FO APPARENTLY TOLD THE RPTR THAT HE HAD ENROLLED IN AN ASSERTIVENESS COURSE.

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.