Narrative:

We departed ft worth meacham (ftw) heading to mustang beach (ras). We were handed off from ZFW to waco approach leveling at 10000 ft (last cleared altitude). While checking in on the new frequency; one of the passenger yelled up front for the captain to come to the back of the aircraft to check something out. I took over flying as he went to the back of the aircraft. He called up to me and said that we had to get down in a hurry; and told me to request a diversion into waco. I called waco approach and notified them that we needed to divert into waco international (act). I was cleared to the waco airport and was given the current conditions at the airport. I put the destination in the GPS and started turning direct to the airport. The captain returned to his seat and checked the GPS and determined that it would be faster to return to ft worth. I notified waco approach that we wanted to change to ft worth meacham; and was told to stand by. The captain pulled back the throttle on the #2 engine and started a descending turn to the north. The controller was upset with our turn and told us to return to a heading of 180 degrees; which we did. He then came back with an amended clearance direct to the ft worth airport at 4000 ft; and handed us off to regional approach. I was still trying to find out what the issue was with the aircraft from the captain when he turned the aircraft back towards ft worth. The captain requested a precautionary landing at ftw without any emergency vehicles. We were in VMC at the time; and no other aircraft was showing on our TCAS throughout the entire event. When we arrived at ft worth; we were told to contact the supervisor at the waco tower. He was extremely upset for us turning without clearance and said that we should have declared an emergency. He questioned the captain at length about his flying ability and history. The request to divert into waco; receiving clearance; request to divert to ft worth; and the turn to the north was done within 2 mins. I think there wasn't enough communication among us in the cockpit; nor was ATC advised of the seriousness of our situation. Instead of just returning to the heading of 180 degrees and awaiting the amended clearance; I think we should have declared an emergency and informed them of the nature of our situation. The captain did not want to declare an emergency due to the fact that there would be extra paperwork and he didn't want to burden the ATC system when he felt as though we could handle everything on our own. I need to be more direct in requesting information from the captain and explain more to ATC to prevent this in the future. I should have reminded the captain that even though we were in VMC; that we were still on an IFR flight plan and prevented the turn. My lack of understanding the problem in the back of the plane kept me quiet; and I assumed the captain had much more experience and better knew how to deal with the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECHCRAFT KING AIR FLT CREW ENCOUNTERS A PROB (NOT STATED) REQUIRING A DIVERSION. CAPT'S DESIRE NOT TO DECLARE AN EMER WHILE ACTING AS IF THERE WAS ONE CAUSES PROBS WITH ATC.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED FT WORTH MEACHAM (FTW) HEADING TO MUSTANG BEACH (RAS). WE WERE HANDED OFF FROM ZFW TO WACO APCH LEVELING AT 10000 FT (LAST CLRED ALT). WHILE CHKING IN ON THE NEW FREQ; ONE OF THE PAX YELLED UP FRONT FOR THE CAPT TO COME TO THE BACK OF THE ACFT TO CHK SOMETHING OUT. I TOOK OVER FLYING AS HE WENT TO THE BACK OF THE ACFT. HE CALLED UP TO ME AND SAID THAT WE HAD TO GET DOWN IN A HURRY; AND TOLD ME TO REQUEST A DIVERSION INTO WACO. I CALLED WACO APCH AND NOTIFIED THEM THAT WE NEEDED TO DIVERT INTO WACO INTL (ACT). I WAS CLRED TO THE WACO ARPT AND WAS GIVEN THE CURRENT CONDITIONS AT THE ARPT. I PUT THE DEST IN THE GPS AND STARTED TURNING DIRECT TO THE ARPT. THE CAPT RETURNED TO HIS SEAT AND CHKED THE GPS AND DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD BE FASTER TO RETURN TO FT WORTH. I NOTIFIED WACO APCH THAT WE WANTED TO CHANGE TO FT WORTH MEACHAM; AND WAS TOLD TO STAND BY. THE CAPT PULLED BACK THE THROTTLE ON THE #2 ENG AND STARTED A DSNDING TURN TO THE N. THE CTLR WAS UPSET WITH OUR TURN AND TOLD US TO RETURN TO A HDG OF 180 DEGS; WHICH WE DID. HE THEN CAME BACK WITH AN AMENDED CLRNC DIRECT TO THE FT WORTH ARPT AT 4000 FT; AND HANDED US OFF TO REGIONAL APCH. I WAS STILL TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT THE ISSUE WAS WITH THE ACFT FROM THE CAPT WHEN HE TURNED THE ACFT BACK TOWARDS FT WORTH. THE CAPT REQUESTED A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT FTW WITHOUT ANY EMER VEHICLES. WE WERE IN VMC AT THE TIME; AND NO OTHER ACFT WAS SHOWING ON OUR TCAS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE EVENT. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT FT WORTH; WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT THE SUPVR AT THE WACO TWR. HE WAS EXTREMELY UPSET FOR US TURNING WITHOUT CLRNC AND SAID THAT WE SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER. HE QUESTIONED THE CAPT AT LENGTH ABOUT HIS FLYING ABILITY AND HISTORY. THE REQUEST TO DIVERT INTO WACO; RECEIVING CLRNC; REQUEST TO DIVERT TO FT WORTH; AND THE TURN TO THE N WAS DONE WITHIN 2 MINS. I THINK THERE WASN'T ENOUGH COM AMONG US IN THE COCKPIT; NOR WAS ATC ADVISED OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF OUR SIT. INSTEAD OF JUST RETURNING TO THE HDG OF 180 DEGS AND AWAITING THE AMENDED CLRNC; I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER AND INFORMED THEM OF THE NATURE OF OUR SIT. THE CAPT DID NOT WANT TO DECLARE AN EMER DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE WOULD BE EXTRA PAPERWORK AND HE DIDN'T WANT TO BURDEN THE ATC SYS WHEN HE FELT AS THOUGH WE COULD HANDLE EVERYTHING ON OUR OWN. I NEED TO BE MORE DIRECT IN REQUESTING INFO FROM THE CAPT AND EXPLAIN MORE TO ATC TO PREVENT THIS IN THE FUTURE. I SHOULD HAVE REMINDED THE CAPT THAT EVEN THOUGH WE WERE IN VMC; THAT WE WERE STILL ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND PREVENTED THE TURN. MY LACK OF UNDERSTANDING THE PROB IN THE BACK OF THE PLANE KEPT ME QUIET; AND I ASSUMED THE CAPT HAD MUCH MORE EXPERIENCE AND BETTER KNEW HOW TO DEAL WITH THE SIT.

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.