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Emergency medical helicopter flight crew denied permission to return to home base airport due to using a check flight call sign for practice approachs to several hospital heliports waiver time had expired. After changing back to the medical evacuate/evacuation status, they were granted clearance, but then faulted for not really being in that status.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 531563 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200111 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zzz.artcc |
| State Reference | US |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : zzz.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 350 |
| ASRS Report | 531563 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | observation : company check pilot |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated faa : assigned or threatened penalties faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure Company Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Flying a helicopter for hospital in united states of america obtaining FAA approval of GPS approachs for a total of 5 hospitals we fly to. Chief pilot/manager of flight check was on board to check out the approachs. Our plan was to do the approach here at the hospital then fly to ZZZ1 and shoot the approach to the hospital there, then fly to ZZZ2 and shoot the approach there, then fly to ZZZ3 and shoot the approach to the hospital there, then shoot the approach to ZZZ4 hospital and then return to ZZZ. Because of morning fog, we couldn't start the approachs until after XA00. By the time we finished at the hospital near ZZZ3 and refueled, it was now after XF00. Deciding it would be close to dark by the time we flew to ZZZ4, we decided to fly back to the hospital ZZZ. Flying at 4500 ft, talking with ZZZ5 approach, we were handed off to ZZZ approach. Just outside of ZZZ VOR, I asked to descend to 3000 ft and was granted to do so. Within a few mins I was told to do a '360.' I was told there was 'traffic at 11 O'clock position, 2000 ft.' I reported the traffic, but was still doing a '360' then I was told to fly '090 degrees.' I did so for a few mins, but wondered why. Now I was starting to fly over an overcast below me and it seemed to be blowing into the area. Not wanting to get caught on top, I told approach about the overcast and stated I wanted to go to ZZZ hospital. The response was 'you can't do that.' again I reminded approach about the overcast and my desire to return to the hospital. Again I was told 'you can't do that.' I asked if I could call ZZZ6 approach and again was told 'you can't do that.' then said 'we'll revert back to our original call sign' and again I was told 'you can't do that.' I then asked what I had to do and was told I needed to fly out of the area. I asked if I could fly north and I was granted that request. After being handed off to ZZZ7 approach, chief pilot got on the radio and explained the situation to them. We asked if we could go direct to ZZZ. After a few seconds we were 'cleared direct.' after being handed off to ZZZ tower, I was asked if we 'were in a medical status.' I stated 'yes' because we are always ready to respond to a medical situation. After landing and going to give my flight times to dispatch, I was told the FAA had called. I asked 'what did they want?' I was told they wanted to know if our flight was coming back to the hospital and the dispatcher said 'yes,' then they asked if our flight was in a medical status and the dispatcher said 'no.' at that point the dispatcher said this 'guy on the phone blew up.' the guy said 'that pilot lied to me' and that 'he was going to be in a lot of trouble.' I believe I did nothing wrong. Once the controller checked with the dispatcher and found out our flight was indeed returning to hospital then the situation should have ben considered 'normal' I used an alternate call sign because I was told to do so.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: EMER MEDICAL HELI FLC DENIED PERMISSION TO RETURN TO HOME BASE ARPT DUE TO USING A CHK FLT CALL SIGN FOR PRACTICE APCHS TO SEVERAL HOSPITAL HELIPORTS WAIVER TIME HAD EXPIRED. AFTER CHANGING BACK TO THE MEDICAL EVAC STATUS, THEY WERE GRANTED CLRNC, BUT THEN FAULTED FOR NOT REALLY BEING IN THAT STATUS.
Narrative: FLYING A HELI FOR HOSPITAL IN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA OBTAINING FAA APPROVAL OF GPS APCHS FOR A TOTAL OF 5 HOSPITALS WE FLY TO. CHIEF PLT/MGR OF FLT CHK WAS ON BOARD TO CHK OUT THE APCHS. OUR PLAN WAS TO DO THE APCH HERE AT THE HOSPITAL THEN FLY TO ZZZ1 AND SHOOT THE APCH TO THE HOSPITAL THERE, THEN FLY TO ZZZ2 AND SHOOT THE APCH THERE, THEN FLY TO ZZZ3 AND SHOOT THE APCH TO THE HOSPITAL THERE, THEN SHOOT THE APCH TO ZZZ4 HOSPITAL AND THEN RETURN TO ZZZ. BECAUSE OF MORNING FOG, WE COULDN'T START THE APCHS UNTIL AFTER XA00. BY THE TIME WE FINISHED AT THE HOSPITAL NEAR ZZZ3 AND REFUELED, IT WAS NOW AFTER XF00. DECIDING IT WOULD BE CLOSE TO DARK BY THE TIME WE FLEW TO ZZZ4, WE DECIDED TO FLY BACK TO THE HOSPITAL ZZZ. FLYING AT 4500 FT, TALKING WITH ZZZ5 APCH, WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ZZZ APCH. JUST OUTSIDE OF ZZZ VOR, I ASKED TO DSND TO 3000 FT AND WAS GRANTED TO DO SO. WITHIN A FEW MINS I WAS TOLD TO DO A '360.' I WAS TOLD THERE WAS 'TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK POS, 2000 FT.' I RPTED THE TFC, BUT WAS STILL DOING A '360' THEN I WAS TOLD TO FLY '090 DEGS.' I DID SO FOR A FEW MINS, BUT WONDERED WHY. NOW I WAS STARTING TO FLY OVER AN OVCST BELOW ME AND IT SEEMED TO BE BLOWING INTO THE AREA. NOT WANTING TO GET CAUGHT ON TOP, I TOLD APCH ABOUT THE OVCST AND STATED I WANTED TO GO TO ZZZ HOSPITAL. THE RESPONSE WAS 'YOU CAN'T DO THAT.' AGAIN I REMINDED APCH ABOUT THE OVCST AND MY DESIRE TO RETURN TO THE HOSPITAL. AGAIN I WAS TOLD 'YOU CAN'T DO THAT.' I ASKED IF I COULD CALL ZZZ6 APCH AND AGAIN WAS TOLD 'YOU CAN'T DO THAT.' THEN SAID 'WE'LL REVERT BACK TO OUR ORIGINAL CALL SIGN' AND AGAIN I WAS TOLD 'YOU CAN'T DO THAT.' I THEN ASKED WHAT I HAD TO DO AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO FLY OUT OF THE AREA. I ASKED IF I COULD FLY N AND I WAS GRANTED THAT REQUEST. AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO ZZZ7 APCH, CHIEF PLT GOT ON THE RADIO AND EXPLAINED THE SIT TO THEM. WE ASKED IF WE COULD GO DIRECT TO ZZZ. AFTER A FEW SECONDS WE WERE 'CLRED DIRECT.' AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO ZZZ TWR, I WAS ASKED IF WE 'WERE IN A MEDICAL STATUS.' I STATED 'YES' BECAUSE WE ARE ALWAYS READY TO RESPOND TO A MEDICAL SIT. AFTER LNDG AND GOING TO GIVE MY FLT TIMES TO DISPATCH, I WAS TOLD THE FAA HAD CALLED. I ASKED 'WHAT DID THEY WANT?' I WAS TOLD THEY WANTED TO KNOW IF OUR FLT WAS COMING BACK TO THE HOSPITAL AND THE DISPATCHER SAID 'YES,' THEN THEY ASKED IF OUR FLT WAS IN A MEDICAL STATUS AND THE DISPATCHER SAID 'NO.' AT THAT POINT THE DISPATCHER SAID THIS 'GUY ON THE PHONE BLEW UP.' THE GUY SAID 'THAT PLT LIED TO ME' AND THAT 'HE WAS GOING TO BE IN A LOT OF TROUBLE.' I BELIEVE I DID NOTHING WRONG. ONCE THE CTLR CHKED WITH THE DISPATCHER AND FOUND OUT OUR FLT WAS INDEED RETURNING TO HOSPITAL THEN THE SIT SHOULD HAVE BEN CONSIDERED 'NORMAL' I USED AN ALTERNATE CALL SIGN BECAUSE I WAS TOLD TO DO SO.
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.