AS50 helicopter part 135 chief pilot consented to the carriage of prohibited hazmat gasoline.

Attributes
ACN	495949
Time
Date	200012
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : las.airport
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mdw.tower
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	AS 350 Astar/Ecureuil
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	other personnel other oversight : supervisor
Qualification	other other : chief plt pilot : atp
Experience	controller military : 20 controller non radar : 10 controller radar : 22 controller supervisory : 6 flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 14000
ASRS Report	495949
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : investigated faa : assigned or threatened penalties
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

This event did not have me flying. I was home and made a decision that waivered. We received a call that we needed to carry gasoline out to a remote area. Operations called me up at home and inquired about flying out 6 5-GALLONS cans. I said 'absolutely not! Total violation of our operations manual. We cannot do it.' the operations clerk (supervisor) then called the PIC of the aircraft and he said, 'no, we can't do it!' operations supervisor said 'we have 230 people that will not have a trip on water (boat) if the fuel isn't out there, and the other part 135 operation did it. Why can't we?' I said again 'it is in violation of our policy and we cannot do it.' the pressure mounted and time constraints and flts delayed all had a part to play in this situation. After hearing the situation, I waivered and told the PIC if he felt safe he could do what he felt he had to do. The PIC told me he would fly the stuff and I said, 'this is the last time and never do this again.' well, fortunately, everything went fine, but I started to feel sick that I did not stand my ground and insist on not flying the hazmat. I made an error in judgement and will never again submit to outside pressure to get the job done. I was unsafe to fly the gasoline. We did disclose what I did to the local FSDO. Error in judgement on my part. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was chief pilot for his part 135 operation. The pilot involved was given time off for violating company regulations even though it was condoned and encouraged by the chief pilot. The FAA FSDO investigated after company self disclosure. They insisted that company operations manual be changed to 'clarify' the operation. The chief pilot and PF were required to conduct a training class in dangerous goods for all other company pilots and other company operations personnel. The FAA has put the fear of god into the chief pilot. The chief pilot stated 'never again.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AS50 HELI PART 135 CHIEF PLT CONSENTED TO THE CARRIAGE OF PROHIBITED HAZMAT GASOLINE.

Narrative: THIS EVENT DID NOT HAVE ME FLYING. I WAS HOME AND MADE A DECISION THAT WAIVERED. WE RECEIVED A CALL THAT WE NEEDED TO CARRY GASOLINE OUT TO A REMOTE AREA. OPS CALLED ME UP AT HOME AND INQUIRED ABOUT FLYING OUT 6 5-GALLONS CANS. I SAID 'ABSOLUTELY NOT! TOTAL VIOLATION OF OUR OPS MANUAL. WE CANNOT DO IT.' THE OPS CLERK (SUPVR) THEN CALLED THE PIC OF THE ACFT AND HE SAID, 'NO, WE CAN'T DO IT!' OPS SUPVR SAID 'WE HAVE 230 PEOPLE THAT WILL NOT HAVE A TRIP ON WATER (BOAT) IF THE FUEL ISN'T OUT THERE, AND THE OTHER PART 135 OP DID IT. WHY CAN'T WE?' I SAID AGAIN 'IT IS IN VIOLATION OF OUR POLICY AND WE CANNOT DO IT.' THE PRESSURE MOUNTED AND TIME CONSTRAINTS AND FLTS DELAYED ALL HAD A PART TO PLAY IN THIS SIT. AFTER HEARING THE SIT, I WAIVERED AND TOLD THE PIC IF HE FELT SAFE HE COULD DO WHAT HE FELT HE HAD TO DO. THE PIC TOLD ME HE WOULD FLY THE STUFF AND I SAID, 'THIS IS THE LAST TIME AND NEVER DO THIS AGAIN.' WELL, FORTUNATELY, EVERYTHING WENT FINE, BUT I STARTED TO FEEL SICK THAT I DID NOT STAND MY GND AND INSIST ON NOT FLYING THE HAZMAT. I MADE AN ERROR IN JUDGEMENT AND WILL NEVER AGAIN SUBMIT TO OUTSIDE PRESSURE TO GET THE JOB DONE. I WAS UNSAFE TO FLY THE GASOLINE. WE DID DISCLOSE WHAT I DID TO THE LCL FSDO. ERROR IN JUDGEMENT ON MY PART. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS CHIEF PLT FOR HIS PART 135 OP. THE PLT INVOLVED WAS GIVEN TIME OFF FOR VIOLATING COMPANY REGS EVEN THOUGH IT WAS CONDONED AND ENCOURAGED BY THE CHIEF PLT. THE FAA FSDO INVESTIGATED AFTER COMPANY SELF DISCLOSURE. THEY INSISTED THAT COMPANY OPS MANUAL BE CHANGED TO 'CLARIFY' THE OP. THE CHIEF PLT AND PF WERE REQUIRED TO CONDUCT A TRAINING CLASS IN DANGEROUS GOODS FOR ALL OTHER COMPANY PLTS AND OTHER COMPANY OPS PERSONNEL. THE FAA HAS PUT THE FEAR OF GOD INTO THE CHIEF PLT. THE CHIEF PLT STATED 'NEVER AGAIN.'

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.