Narrative:

Dc-6A flight started at panc, then on to pafa, pabr-pasc, then to pale where flight engineer fell out of back cargo door. Flight engineer flown to pafa. Captain and first officer flew air carrier X flight from pale to panc without any flight engineer on board. Flight time approximately 2 1/2 hours. Factors that forced this decision are as follows: 1) temperature at pale approximately -30 to -40 degrees F, wind slight, but contributing to a wind chill of approximately -50 to -60 degrees F. If the plane sat for more than 1 hour (even with engine doughnuts installed) it would not start. 2) company does not keep a mechanic or heaters at the station. 3) company told flight crew via captain to return aircraft to panc without flight engineer. 4) all revenue cargo removed. 5) captain, in addition to his duties, performed the duties of the flight engineer. 6) first officer flew takeoff and some en route portions in addition to his normal duties. Night flight in occasional IFR conditions. The flight was conducted without any problems. Due to the lack of an flight engineer, thermal stress during the entire day, long unlimited duty day, long flight time, night conditions, occasionally in IFR conditions, multiple takeoffs and lndgs, this first officer is not 100% convinced that if there were multiple system problems that we could have coped with it. Captain very experienced in the dc-6A/B, first officer new to part 121 operations. After the fact, I believe that the company should have boarded the remaining crew on the oil company facilities and flown the necessary mechanics, and heaters from panc the next day regardless of the problems the frozen airplane would cause.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC6 CARGO ACFT FLOWN WITHOUT REQUIRED FE.

Narrative: DC-6A FLT STARTED AT PANC, THEN ON TO PAFA, PABR-PASC, THEN TO PALE WHERE FE FELL OUT OF BACK CARGO DOOR. FE FLOWN TO PAFA. CAPT AND FO FLEW ACR X FLT FROM PALE TO PANC WITHOUT ANY FE ON BOARD. FLT TIME APPROX 2 1/2 HRS. FACTORS THAT FORCED THIS DECISION ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1) TEMP AT PALE APPROX -30 TO -40 DEGS F, WIND SLIGHT, BUT CONTRIBUTING TO A WIND CHILL OF APPROX -50 TO -60 DEGS F. IF THE PLANE SAT FOR MORE THAN 1 HR (EVEN WITH ENG DOUGHNUTS INSTALLED) IT WOULD NOT START. 2) COMPANY DOES NOT KEEP A MECH OR HEATERS AT THE STATION. 3) COMPANY TOLD FLC VIA CAPT TO RETURN ACFT TO PANC WITHOUT FE. 4) ALL REVENUE CARGO REMOVED. 5) CAPT, IN ADDITION TO HIS DUTIES, PERFORMED THE DUTIES OF THE FE. 6) FO FLEW TKOF AND SOME ENRTE PORTIONS IN ADDITION TO HIS NORMAL DUTIES. NIGHT FLT IN OCCASIONAL IFR CONDITIONS. THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED WITHOUT ANY PROBS. DUE TO THE LACK OF AN FE, THERMAL STRESS DURING THE ENTIRE DAY, LONG UNLIMITED DUTY DAY, LONG FLT TIME, NIGHT CONDITIONS, OCCASIONALLY IN IFR CONDITIONS, MULTIPLE TKOFS AND LNDGS, THIS FO IS NOT 100% CONVINCED THAT IF THERE WERE MULTIPLE SYS PROBS THAT WE COULD HAVE COPED WITH IT. CAPT VERY EXPERIENCED IN THE DC-6A/B, FO NEW TO PART 121 OPS. AFTER THE FACT, I BELIEVE THAT THE COMPANY SHOULD HAVE BOARDED THE REMAINING CREW ON THE OIL COMPANY FACILITIES AND FLOWN THE NECESSARY MECHS, AND HEATERS FROM PANC THE NEXT DAY REGARDLESS OF THE PROBS THE FROZEN AIRPLANE WOULD CAUSE.

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.