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A C207 pilot compliant of ATC distraction with legal questions while aircraft is making an emergency forced landing at night after an engine failure with ZSE, wa.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 469713 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200004 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zse.artcc |
| State Reference | WA |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Snow |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zse.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cessna Stationair/Turbo Stationair 7/8 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time total : 2600 |
| ASRS Report | 469713 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft ATC Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
The reason for sending this report is not to report the accident I was involved in, but to make a comment about the air traffic services I received. The situation was: night, IMC, over mountainous terrain, single engine. The engine, for reasons I still don't know, failed. When we reported our problem to seattle, we were told of the position of the nearest interstate highway, which was a good thing. However, over the next several mins, we were peppered by numerous questions, most of which we ignored. My copilot and I were exceedingly busy flying the airplane (remember, no engine, no vacuum instruments), and attempting to restart the engine, while I understand air traffic's need for information and the controller's natural desire to help, I found the number of ATC xmissions to be distracting during a period of very high cockpit workload. I believe that air traffic controllers should be given more opportunity to ride in the cockpit of GA aircraft to understand better the workload on the pilot and how they can affect it.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A C207 PLT COMPLIANT OF ATC DISTR WITH LEGAL QUESTIONS WHILE ACFT IS MAKING AN EMER FORCED LNDG AT NIGHT AFTER AN ENG FAILURE WITH ZSE, WA.
Narrative: THE REASON FOR SENDING THIS RPT IS NOT TO RPT THE ACCIDENT I WAS INVOLVED IN, BUT TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THE AIR TFC SVCS I RECEIVED. THE SIT WAS: NIGHT, IMC, OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, SINGLE ENG. THE ENG, FOR REASONS I STILL DON'T KNOW, FAILED. WHEN WE RPTED OUR PROB TO SEATTLE, WE WERE TOLD OF THE POS OF THE NEAREST INTERSTATE HWY, WHICH WAS A GOOD THING. HOWEVER, OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MINS, WE WERE PEPPERED BY NUMEROUS QUESTIONS, MOST OF WHICH WE IGNORED. MY COPLT AND I WERE EXCEEDINGLY BUSY FLYING THE AIRPLANE (REMEMBER, NO ENG, NO VACUUM INSTS), AND ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE ENG, WHILE I UNDERSTAND AIR TFC'S NEED FOR INFO AND THE CTLR'S NATURAL DESIRE TO HELP, I FOUND THE NUMBER OF ATC XMISSIONS TO BE DISTRACTING DURING A PERIOD OF VERY HIGH COCKPIT WORKLOAD. I BELIEVE THAT AIR TFC CTLRS SHOULD BE GIVEN MORE OPPORTUNITY TO RIDE IN THE COCKPIT OF GA ACFT TO UNDERSTAND BETTER THE WORKLOAD ON THE PLT AND HOW THEY CAN AFFECT IT.
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.