A C207 pilot is pressured into flying a charter in marginal WX; and encounters freezing rain.

Attributes
ACN	660138
Time
Date	200506
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz2.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Weather Elements	Ice Rain
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : charter
Make Model Name	Cessna Stationair/Turbo Stationair 7/8
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : charter
Make Model Name	Airliner 99
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	company : charter
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 1000 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	660138
Person 2
Affiliation	company : charter
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

While flying a cessna 207 at 500 ft MSL between ZZZ1 airport and ZZZ2 airport; I encountered freezing rain 15 miles south of ZZZ2. I started the proper procedure as stated in the cessna 207 pilot operating handbook for icing encounters. With the first sign that I had encountered freezing rain on the plane I quickly changed course and within seconds was out of the situation. In no way did I ever intend to pick up any kind of ice but events happen and I realized that sharing this information would be worth it. The flight ended without incident and then I started to think of some of the causes that made the situation possible. The biggest factor was pressure by management to take the flight in an airplane that is not capable of IMC and shedding ice. The ZZZ2 WX was reporting 800 broken and 10 miles visibility. ZZZ3 WX was 1200 broken and 10 miles visibility. ZZZ1 does not have reporting WX. The WX was good enough to attempt the scheduled flight but it had been turned down by another pilot due to concerns about the WX. I had just returned from another scheduled flight but I was in a beech 99 that was IFR capable. Management then approached me about taking the flight and used pressures for why I should attempt the flight; these were: 'passenger are waiting and want to get home;' 'you have just come in from a flight and know what the WX is so you can always turn around;' 'we're disappointed that the other guy won't take the flight;' 'the company can't continue to tell the passenger that we are not flying because of WX while our competition is flying.' my reply to these were; 'that's because they fly cessna 208 caravans and piper navajo's; both which are fully capable of IMC and shedding ice.' these pressures could have been answered with a simple; 'no go.' every time I fly I learn something new and with this situation it has shown me that management pressures to complete a flight can put pilots in sits that exceed the ability of the airplanes and the pilots who fly them.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C207 PLT IS PRESSURED INTO FLYING A CHARTER IN MARGINAL WX; AND ENCOUNTERS FREEZING RAIN.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING A CESSNA 207 AT 500 FT MSL BETWEEN ZZZ1 ARPT AND ZZZ2 ARPT; I ENCOUNTERED FREEZING RAIN 15 MILES S OF ZZZ2. I STARTED THE PROPER PROC AS STATED IN THE CESSNA 207 PLT OPERATING HANDBOOK FOR ICING ENCOUNTERS. WITH THE FIRST SIGN THAT I HAD ENCOUNTERED FREEZING RAIN ON THE PLANE I QUICKLY CHANGED COURSE AND WITHIN SECONDS WAS OUT OF THE SIT. IN NO WAY DID I EVER INTEND TO PICK UP ANY KIND OF ICE BUT EVENTS HAPPEN AND I REALIZED THAT SHARING THIS INFO WOULD BE WORTH IT. THE FLT ENDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND THEN I STARTED TO THINK OF SOME OF THE CAUSES THAT MADE THE SIT POSSIBLE. THE BIGGEST FACTOR WAS PRESSURE BY MANAGEMENT TO TAKE THE FLT IN AN AIRPLANE THAT IS NOT CAPABLE OF IMC AND SHEDDING ICE. THE ZZZ2 WX WAS RPTING 800 BROKEN AND 10 MILES VISIBILITY. ZZZ3 WX WAS 1200 BROKEN AND 10 MILES VISIBILITY. ZZZ1 DOES NOT HAVE RPTING WX. THE WX WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO ATTEMPT THE SCHEDULED FLT BUT IT HAD BEEN TURNED DOWN BY ANOTHER PLT DUE TO CONCERNS ABOUT THE WX. I HAD JUST RETURNED FROM ANOTHER SCHEDULED FLT BUT I WAS IN A BEECH 99 THAT WAS IFR CAPABLE. MANAGEMENT THEN APCHED ME ABOUT TAKING THE FLT AND USED PRESSURES FOR WHY I SHOULD ATTEMPT THE FLT; THESE WERE: 'PAX ARE WAITING AND WANT TO GET HOME;' 'YOU HAVE JUST COME IN FROM A FLT AND KNOW WHAT THE WX IS SO YOU CAN ALWAYS TURN AROUND;' 'WE'RE DISAPPOINTED THAT THE OTHER GUY WON'T TAKE THE FLT;' 'THE COMPANY CAN'T CONTINUE TO TELL THE PAX THAT WE ARE NOT FLYING BECAUSE OF WX WHILE OUR COMPETITION IS FLYING.' MY REPLY TO THESE WERE; 'THAT'S BECAUSE THEY FLY CESSNA 208 CARAVANS AND PIPER NAVAJO'S; BOTH WHICH ARE FULLY CAPABLE OF IMC AND SHEDDING ICE.' THESE PRESSURES COULD HAVE BEEN ANSWERED WITH A SIMPLE; 'NO GO.' EVERY TIME I FLY I LEARN SOMETHING NEW AND WITH THIS SIT IT HAS SHOWN ME THAT MANAGEMENT PRESSURES TO COMPLETE A FLT CAN PUT PLTS IN SITS THAT EXCEED THE ABILITY OF THE AIRPLANES AND THE PLTS WHO FLY THEM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.