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A commercial rated atx pilot flying passenger over a section of lake mead in an AS350 is investigated for a violation of the MSA rule.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 445889 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199907 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : u30.airport |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl single value : 2800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | AS 350 Astar/Ecureuil |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 5100 flight time type : 1800 |
| ASRS Report | 445889 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | observation : air carrier inspector other personnel other |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far non adherence other |
| Independent Detector | other other : 2 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While acting as PIC of an AS350BII helicopter one morning in jul/99, according to 2 FAA employees, I was spotted crossing over a section of lake mead known as the virgin basin around XA00 hours. These 2 persons claim that at the altitude I was crossing over the lake, I was at an altitude that would not allow me to safely reach the shoreline had an engine failure occurred during that phase of flight. Crossing the lake at 2800 ft MSL would put me at about 1300 ft above the water. At that point I have the luxury of safely autorotating 90 degrees to the right -- there is a band of small islands which is more than suitable to land the helicopter safely without the risk of ditching in the lake. There would also be plenty of altitude and time to safely reach the shoreline directly in front of the helicopter.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A COMMERCIAL RATED ATX PLT FLYING PAX OVER A SECTION OF LAKE MEAD IN AN AS350 IS INVESTIGATED FOR A VIOLATION OF THE MSA RULE.
Narrative: WHILE ACTING AS PIC OF AN AS350BII HELI ONE MORNING IN JUL/99, ACCORDING TO 2 FAA EMPLOYEES, I WAS SPOTTED XING OVER A SECTION OF LAKE MEAD KNOWN AS THE VIRGIN BASIN AROUND XA00 HRS. THESE 2 PERSONS CLAIM THAT AT THE ALT I WAS XING OVER THE LAKE, I WAS AT AN ALT THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO SAFELY REACH THE SHORELINE HAD AN ENG FAILURE OCCURRED DURING THAT PHASE OF FLT. XING THE LAKE AT 2800 FT MSL WOULD PUT ME AT ABOUT 1300 FT ABOVE THE WATER. AT THAT POINT I HAVE THE LUXURY OF SAFELY AUTOROTATING 90 DEGS TO THE R -- THERE IS A BAND OF SMALL ISLANDS WHICH IS MORE THAN SUITABLE TO LAND THE HELI SAFELY WITHOUT THE RISK OF DITCHING IN THE LAKE. THERE WOULD ALSO BE PLENTY OF ALT AND TIME TO SAFELY REACH THE SHORELINE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE HELI.
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.