Narrative:

Flying as first officer, flying aircraft from right seat, ATP rated, with chief pilot. Some shining examples of the chief pilot's professionalism and airmanship: 1) arguing in the cockpit, at all phases of flight over anything -- often not even related to the task at hand. 2) on the active runway, awaiting takeoff clearance, cleared, I called for 'final items' and set power, simultaneously noticing he did not answer tower. I hit final item switches, looked over to see why he was 'out of the loop' and found, to my dismay, he was talking to his sister on his cell phone! Many small flight departments have similar problems. PIC (chief pilot) couldn't figure out how to enter that clearance in the FMS. He is very experienced in this aircraft, but has let his professionalism slide to the point where he no longer believes in charts with our 'electronic gee whiz capability.' chief pilot was getting very impatient, and talking about canceling IFR and going VFR. I told him, just enter direct pvd and we can take off and will have all the time in the world en route to pvd to enter the next leg as it was late. He said ok and so we departed. I called for gear up and he bolts out of his seat saying 'you got it, I'm going to tidy up the cabin' and leaves before I could stop him. I immediately looked for the chart only to find I had no idea where he put the one I gave him! I summoned him to the cockpit on the PA with the remark that if he did not return, I was going to request a clearance to land at the nearest suitable airport due to pilot incapacitation as this was a 2 pilot aircraft. He returned to berate me for not being able to handle the situation. He found the chart, he had dropped it on the far side of his seat. He picked it up and through it at me and left again. The permanent first officer and I have discussed this chief pilot at length. Short of quitting, ourselves, this chief pilot is so entrenched in his job with our bossecond officerwner that complaining about him to anyone else will only cause our early termination. I have recommended healthy extensive doses of CRM, but he refuses. According to him, 'serves no purpose as it is a waste of time and money as he knows how to 'control' a crew.' callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this is not, an aging pilot, but one in his mid forties so that his training occurred since the advent of CRM.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR FO RPTS LACK OF CRM SKILLS AND UNPROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE ON THE PART OF HIS CHIEF PLT.

Narrative: FLYING AS FO, FLYING ACFT FROM R SEAT, ATP RATED, WITH CHIEF PLT. SOME SHINING EXAMPLES OF THE CHIEF PLT'S PROFESSIONALISM AND AIRMANSHIP: 1) ARGUING IN THE COCKPIT, AT ALL PHASES OF FLT OVER ANYTHING -- OFTEN NOT EVEN RELATED TO THE TASK AT HAND. 2) ON THE ACTIVE RWY, AWAITING TKOF CLRNC, CLRED, I CALLED FOR 'FINAL ITEMS' AND SET PWR, SIMULTANEOUSLY NOTICING HE DID NOT ANSWER TWR. I HIT FINAL ITEM SWITCHES, LOOKED OVER TO SEE WHY HE WAS 'OUT OF THE LOOP' AND FOUND, TO MY DISMAY, HE WAS TALKING TO HIS SISTER ON HIS CELL PHONE! MANY SMALL FLT DEPTS HAVE SIMILAR PROBS. PIC (CHIEF PLT) COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO ENTER THAT CLRNC IN THE FMS. HE IS VERY EXPERIENCED IN THIS ACFT, BUT HAS LET HIS PROFESSIONALISM SLIDE TO THE POINT WHERE HE NO LONGER BELIEVES IN CHARTS WITH OUR 'ELECTRONIC GEE WHIZ CAPABILITY.' CHIEF PLT WAS GETTING VERY IMPATIENT, AND TALKING ABOUT CANCELING IFR AND GOING VFR. I TOLD HIM, JUST ENTER DIRECT PVD AND WE CAN TAKE OFF AND WILL HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD ENRTE TO PVD TO ENTER THE NEXT LEG AS IT WAS LATE. HE SAID OK AND SO WE DEPARTED. I CALLED FOR GEAR UP AND HE BOLTS OUT OF HIS SEAT SAYING 'YOU GOT IT, I'M GOING TO TIDY UP THE CABIN' AND LEAVES BEFORE I COULD STOP HIM. I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED FOR THE CHART ONLY TO FIND I HAD NO IDEA WHERE HE PUT THE ONE I GAVE HIM! I SUMMONED HIM TO THE COCKPIT ON THE PA WITH THE REMARK THAT IF HE DID NOT RETURN, I WAS GOING TO REQUEST A CLRNC TO LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT DUE TO PLT INCAPACITATION AS THIS WAS A 2 PLT ACFT. HE RETURNED TO BERATE ME FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO HANDLE THE SIT. HE FOUND THE CHART, HE HAD DROPPED IT ON THE FAR SIDE OF HIS SEAT. HE PICKED IT UP AND THROUGH IT AT ME AND LEFT AGAIN. THE PERMANENT FO AND I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS CHIEF PLT AT LENGTH. SHORT OF QUITTING, OURSELVES, THIS CHIEF PLT IS SO ENTRENCHED IN HIS JOB WITH OUR BOSS/OWNER THAT COMPLAINING ABOUT HIM TO ANYONE ELSE WILL ONLY CAUSE OUR EARLY TERMINATION. I HAVE RECOMMENDED HEALTHY EXTENSIVE DOSES OF CRM, BUT HE REFUSES. ACCORDING TO HIM, 'SERVES NO PURPOSE AS IT IS A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY AS HE KNOWS HOW TO 'CTL' A CREW.' CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS IS NOT, AN AGING PLT, BUT ONE IN HIS MID FORTIES SO THAT HIS TRAINING OCCURRED SINCE THE ADVENT OF CRM.

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.