AIR TAXI PLT RAMP CHKED AFTER CARGO UNTIED AND BEING REMOVED. TOLD LOAD WAS INSECURE AND IMPROPERLY TIED DOWN.

Date: 1991-10 · Aircraft: Small Transport; Low Wing; 2 Recip Eng · Phase: ground

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-unspecified

Synopsis

AIR TAXI PLT RAMP CHKED AFTER CARGO UNTIED AND BEING REMOVED. TOLD LOAD WAS INSECURE AND IMPROPERLY TIED DOWN.

Narrative

AFTER ENG SHUTDOWN; I UNTIED MY CARGO IN REAR OF ACFT. 2 FAA INSPECTORS RAMP CHKED ME. I WAS INFORMED THAT A ROPE USED TO SECURE 2 CARGO NETS WAS NOT OF AN APPROVED KIND AND THAT I WAS IN VIOLATION OF FAR. I ASSUMED THAT A ROPE IS ACCEPTABLE UNDER FAR 135.87(C)I. LOAD WAS SECURED DURING ENTIRE FLT; NO CARGO HAD SHIFTED. COMPANY OPS MANUAL ALLOWS FOR USE OF ROPE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE IS EXTREMELY DISTURBED BY THIS AND SUCCEEDING EVENTS/BEHAVIOR OF FAA INSPECTORS. THE PROC USED WAS IN THE OPS MANUAL STAMPED ACCEPTED BY FAA. INSPECTOR ARGUED THAT THE WORD 'APPROVED' WAS NOT THERE; SO NOT ACCEPTABLE! 1 OF THE INSPECTORS HAD RIDDEN ON A RTE CHK WITH RPTR ABOUT A WK PRIOR; WITH THE CARGO TIED AS ON THIS DAY AND ACCEPTED THE PROC. RPTR ASKED HIM SPECIFICALLY IF IT WAS OK; 'I WILL NOT TAKE THE ACFT IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT.' THEY FLEW THE RTE. AFTER INCIDENT; RPTR WAS RAMP CHKED EVERY DAY FOR 8 DAYS. THE WORST PART AS RPTR SEES IT IS THAT THE INSPECTORS ARRIVED AFTER CARGO WAS UNTIED AND IN PROCESS OF REMOVAL; BUT STATED THAT 'IT WAS INSECURE AS TIED'. HOW COULD THEY KNOW THAT? RPTR ASKS. THE REGISTERED LETTERS HE RECEIVED AND STATEMENTS MADE BY FAA ARE VERY VAGUELY WORDED. STATE INSECURE LOAD; NOT COVERED BY NET; BUT NO REF OF COMPLIANCE WITH OPS MANUAL PROC 'ACCEPTED' BY FAA. RPTR BELIEVES FAA HAS PROBLEM WITH HIS COMPANY AND HE IS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE. WISHES FAA WOULD DEAL WITH MGMNT AND NOT CREATE HAVOC FOR THE PLTS. WHEN COMPANY WAS RECERTIFIED; THE 'ACCEPTED' PAGE REFING THE CARGO PROC WAS REMOVED. RPTR UPSET BECAUSE FAA IS OFFERING TO DROP THE SITUATION IF HE AGREES NOT TO ASK FOR A HEARING; BUT HE WILL STILL HAVE A WARNING LETTER IN HIS FILE FOR 2 YRS. HE FEELS THEY HAVE NO CASE AND HE SHOULD HAVE NO WARNING.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.