Dhc-3 otter float plane pilot flies close to a cruise ship in juneau harbor.

Attributes
ACN	706768
Time
Date	200608
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	AK
Altitude	msl single value : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : charter
Make Model Name	Otter DHC-3
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure : vfr
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : charter
Function	flight crew : captain
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 265 flight time total : 7980 flight time type : 2300
ASRS Report	706768
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

The aircraft I was flying was taxiing out with 3 other aircraft for a float plane sightseeing tour of the glaciers up the taku inlet in juneau; ak. My aircraft was the second one taxiing out. There were 4 cruise ships docked in the harbor and one waiting away from the docks to take the place of another that was getting ready to depart. The aircraft in front of me was not ready to depart; so rather than take off behind and around him; I chose a different takeoff route that would take me in front of the bow of the ship waiting to dock rather than around its stern. This path also took me in front of the bow of a ship at the dock. From where I took off; I could see a water lane between the 2 ships and given the performance of my aircraft I would be high enough as I went by so as not to create a safety hazard to those below. There was a report from someone on board the ship and from someone on shore that I flew over one of the ships at a low altitude. In retrospect; I probably should have taken off around the stern of the ship after the first plane was ready; so as not to draw attention to myself and to prevent the misperception that I flew over the ship.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DHC-3 OTTER FLOAT PLANE PLT FLIES CLOSE TO A CRUISE SHIP IN JUNEAU HARBOR.

Narrative: THE ACFT I WAS FLYING WAS TAXIING OUT WITH 3 OTHER ACFT FOR A FLOAT PLANE SIGHTSEEING TOUR OF THE GLACIERS UP THE TAKU INLET IN JUNEAU; AK. MY ACFT WAS THE SECOND ONE TAXIING OUT. THERE WERE 4 CRUISE SHIPS DOCKED IN THE HARBOR AND ONE WAITING AWAY FROM THE DOCKS TO TAKE THE PLACE OF ANOTHER THAT WAS GETTING READY TO DEPART. THE ACFT IN FRONT OF ME WAS NOT READY TO DEPART; SO RATHER THAN TAKE OFF BEHIND AND AROUND HIM; I CHOSE A DIFFERENT TKOF RTE THAT WOULD TAKE ME IN FRONT OF THE BOW OF THE SHIP WAITING TO DOCK RATHER THAN AROUND ITS STERN. THIS PATH ALSO TOOK ME IN FRONT OF THE BOW OF A SHIP AT THE DOCK. FROM WHERE I TOOK OFF; I COULD SEE A WATER LANE BTWN THE 2 SHIPS AND GIVEN THE PERFORMANCE OF MY ACFT I WOULD BE HIGH ENOUGH AS I WENT BY SO AS NOT TO CREATE A SAFETY HAZARD TO THOSE BELOW. THERE WAS A RPT FROM SOMEONE ON BOARD THE SHIP AND FROM SOMEONE ON SHORE THAT I FLEW OVER ONE OF THE SHIPS AT A LOW ALT. IN RETROSPECT; I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE TAKEN OFF AROUND THE STERN OF THE SHIP AFTER THE FIRST PLANE WAS READY; SO AS NOT TO DRAW ATTN TO MYSELF AND TO PREVENT THE MISPERCEPTION THAT I FLEW OVER THE SHIP.

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.