Narrative:

I am a CFI and I was giving GPS instruction to a client in seattle for 2 full flaps. Clients hire me for several days for intensive training. I fly all over the country and had not been in seattle for several yrs. I honestly, usually get a full briefing before each flight. This time I did not because my client has an older GPS, in combination with a brand new multi-function display and because most of my clients have newer equipment than the 90B. I spent many hours re-studying the manuals and revising my presentation. We did a comprehensive review of NTSB reports on 2 GPS accidents and talked all about chains of contributing factors, etc. I asked him about tfr's (client) as he had flown in seattle for yrs and was current. He pointed to the chart and said they were all northwest of seattle and pointed to that quadrant of the chart. We agreed to head wsw. I gave him a 'clearance' to fly, seattle radial 270 degree intercept V165 carro V27 hqm direct hqm, all VFR. We took off runway 31L at bfi, maintained about 1000 ft then began climb heading west under class B. He had not asked ground control to coordinate VFR advisories (another thing I always try to have done), so on heading 240 degrees or so he called and we were given a squawk code and radar control. He intercepted the sea 270 degree radial. A few mins later approach called, said, 'sir, ah, you're, ah looks like you're right on the edge of the tfr, fly heading 240 degrees.' client turned, apologized. Controller was friendly, didn't seem mad, my heart just sank. We were a couple of mi from the pacific fleet aircraft carriers. I did not know the tfr was there, had trusted my client, who knew the area and had current information. I didn't write down the altitude, it's possible we might have been above it, but the GPS position was approximately 15 mi from seattle VOR on the 270 degree radial. Could have been +/-1 mi on either side of centerline as I did not use exact positioning but looked at HSI CDI needle, was within 1 DOT of centerline at +/-1 5 mi scale and DME 15 mi. This is very upsetting as I got paid to be on an extreme rules follower. I had trusted my client had the right information and he did not, or forgot. I wondered what else could have gone wrong from trusting the other pilot. I always check the door, chocks, pitot, ask the pilot 'did you check the oil cap is tight?' 'is the fuel blue?' but what if they said it was and it wasn't? How far does the trust have to go? Difficult questions. I will redouble my efforts to always get my own briefing on tfr's and all other information and will not trust only my client's information (even though I really always do get a briefing, that's what is also so upsetting). The contributing factor of doing extra research on a different model GPS, (time constraint) kept me from doing a full duats briefing, will never happen again. Another contributing factor, experienced local pilot/client got bad or incorrect tfr information, otherwise very competent pilot. If tfr's were depicted in GPS maps would certainly have avoided this. We were in radar contact, controller could have caught it much earlier and advised us. Overall, very embarrassing for a guy who gets paid the big bucks to explain accident chains and teaches safety and rules compliance/positional awareness all day. We knew exactly where we were, just didn't have the important, critical tfr location awareness.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A 'PICTURE PERFECT CFI' FAILS TO BRIEF HIMSELF ON THE TFR'S IN THE AREA TO THE W OF HIS DEP ARPT AND HAS A BRUSH WITH THE EDGE OF THE TFR RELATING TO BREMERTON OFF THE 280 DEG RADIAL OF SEA, WA.

Narrative: I AM A CFI AND I WAS GIVING GPS INSTRUCTION TO A CLIENT IN SEATTLE FOR 2 FULL FLAPS. CLIENTS HIRE ME FOR SEVERAL DAYS FOR INTENSIVE TRAINING. I FLY ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND HAD NOT BEEN IN SEATTLE FOR SEVERAL YRS. I HONESTLY, USUALLY GET A FULL BRIEFING BEFORE EACH FLT. THIS TIME I DID NOT BECAUSE MY CLIENT HAS AN OLDER GPS, IN COMBINATION WITH A BRAND NEW MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAY AND BECAUSE MOST OF MY CLIENTS HAVE NEWER EQUIP THAN THE 90B. I SPENT MANY HRS RE-STUDYING THE MANUALS AND REVISING MY PRESENTATION. WE DID A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF NTSB RPTS ON 2 GPS ACCIDENTS AND TALKED ALL ABOUT CHAINS OF CONTRIBUTING FACTORS, ETC. I ASKED HIM ABOUT TFR'S (CLIENT) AS HE HAD FLOWN IN SEATTLE FOR YRS AND WAS CURRENT. HE POINTED TO THE CHART AND SAID THEY WERE ALL NW OF SEATTLE AND POINTED TO THAT QUADRANT OF THE CHART. WE AGREED TO HEAD WSW. I GAVE HIM A 'CLRNC' TO FLY, SEATTLE RADIAL 270 DEG INTERCEPT V165 CARRO V27 HQM DIRECT HQM, ALL VFR. WE TOOK OFF RWY 31L AT BFI, MAINTAINED ABOUT 1000 FT THEN BEGAN CLB HEADING W UNDER CLASS B. HE HAD NOT ASKED GND CTL TO COORDINATE VFR ADVISORIES (ANOTHER THING I ALWAYS TRY TO HAVE DONE), SO ON HEADING 240 DEGS OR SO HE CALLED AND WE WERE GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE AND RADAR CTL. HE INTERCEPTED THE SEA 270 DEG RADIAL. A FEW MINS LATER APCH CALLED, SAID, 'SIR, AH, YOU'RE, AH LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THE TFR, FLY HEADING 240 DEGS.' CLIENT TURNED, APOLOGIZED. CTLR WAS FRIENDLY, DIDN'T SEEM MAD, MY HEART JUST SANK. WE WERE A COUPLE OF MI FROM THE PACIFIC FLEET ACFT CARRIERS. I DID NOT KNOW THE TFR WAS THERE, HAD TRUSTED MY CLIENT, WHO KNEW THE AREA AND HAD CURRENT INFO. I DIDN'T WRITE DOWN THE ALT, IT'S POSSIBLE WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABOVE IT, BUT THE GPS POS WAS APPROX 15 MI FROM SEATTLE VOR ON THE 270 DEG RADIAL. COULD HAVE BEEN +/-1 MI ON EITHER SIDE OF CTRLINE AS I DID NOT USE EXACT POSITIONING BUT LOOKED AT HSI CDI NEEDLE, WAS WITHIN 1 DOT OF CTRLINE AT +/-1 5 MI SCALE AND DME 15 MI. THIS IS VERY UPSETTING AS I GOT PAID TO BE ON AN EXTREME RULES FOLLOWER. I HAD TRUSTED MY CLIENT HAD THE RIGHT INFO AND HE DID NOT, OR FORGOT. I WONDERED WHAT ELSE COULD HAVE GONE WRONG FROM TRUSTING THE OTHER PLT. I ALWAYS CHK THE DOOR, CHOCKS, PITOT, ASK THE PLT 'DID YOU CHK THE OIL CAP IS TIGHT?' 'IS THE FUEL BLUE?' BUT WHAT IF THEY SAID IT WAS AND IT WASN'T? HOW FAR DOES THE TRUST HAVE TO GO? DIFFICULT QUESTIONS. I WILL REDOUBLE MY EFFORTS TO ALWAYS GET MY OWN BRIEFING ON TFR'S AND ALL OTHER INFO AND WILL NOT TRUST ONLY MY CLIENT'S INFO (EVEN THOUGH I REALLY ALWAYS DO GET A BRIEFING, THAT'S WHAT IS ALSO SO UPSETTING). THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR OF DOING EXTRA RESEARCH ON A DIFFERENT MODEL GPS, (TIME CONSTRAINT) KEPT ME FROM DOING A FULL DUATS BRIEFING, WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, EXPERIENCED LCL PLT/CLIENT GOT BAD OR INCORRECT TFR INFO, OTHERWISE VERY COMPETENT PLT. IF TFR'S WERE DEPICTED IN GPS MAPS WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE AVOIDED THIS. WE WERE IN RADAR CONTACT, CTLR COULD HAVE CAUGHT IT MUCH EARLIER AND ADVISED US. OVERALL, VERY EMBARRASSING FOR A GUY WHO GETS PAID THE BIG BUCKS TO EXPLAIN ACCIDENT CHAINS AND TEACHES SAFETY AND RULES COMPLIANCE/POSITIONAL AWARENESS ALL DAY. WE KNEW EXACTLY WHERE WE WERE, JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE IMPORTANT, CRITICAL TFR LOCATION AWARENESS.

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.