ATX SMT FLC SUBJECTED TO FAA RAMP CHK AND 2 HRS OF WT AND BAL REVIEW ON PRETEXT OF THEIR ACFT PURPORTEDLY EXECUTING AN OVERWT TKOF FROM SDM; BROWN FIELD; CA.
Synopsis
ATX SMT FLC SUBJECTED TO FAA RAMP CHK AND 2 HRS OF WT AND BAL REVIEW ON PRETEXT OF THEIR ACFT PURPORTEDLY EXECUTING AN OVERWT TKOF FROM SDM; BROWN FIELD; CA.
Narrative
UPON ARR AT HOU; MY ACFT AND CREW WERE THE SUBJECT OF AN FAA RAMP CHK CONDUCTED BY 8 INSPECTORS FROM THE HOUSTON FSDO. I WAS IMMEDIATELY TOLD THAT THEY RECEIVED AN ANONYMOUS CALL THAT THE ACFT I WAS OPERATING TOOK OFF FROM SDM OVERWT. AT THE OUTSET; I INFORMED THE INSPECTORS THAT I PERFORMED THE WT AND BAL COMPUTATIONS AND THAT BY MY CALCULATIONS; THE ACFT WAS OPERATED WITHIN WT AND BAL LIMITATIONS. AFTER PERMITTING AN INSPECTION OF MY ACFT; I WAS ASKED TO MEET WITH THE HOUSTON INSPECTORS IN A CONFERENCE ROOM PROVIDED BY THE FBO. THIS MEETING LASTED APPROX 2 HRS. DURING THE MEETING; I WAS ASKED TO PREPARE A WT AND BAL. WHEN I LISTED MY FUEL AT 4400 POUNDS; I WAS TOLD BY THE INSPECTORS THAT MY FUEL LOAD WAS FULL. I EXPLAINED THAT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. IN SPITE OF THIS FACT; I WAS ASKED TO PREPARE A NEW WT AND BAL BASED ON A FULL FUEL LOAD OF 5500 POUNDS. THIS COMPUTATION SHOWED AN OVERWT CONDITION. BOTH HANDWRITTEN CALCULATIONS WERE THEN CONFISCATED ALONG WITH PHOTOCOPIES OF COMPANY WT AND BAL PAPERWORK; MAINT SHEETS AND SELECTED PORTIONS OF OUR COMPANY'S OPS SPECS. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT THE INFO WOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE BNA FSDO AND APPROPRIATE ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN. AT THE CLOSE OF THE RAMP CHK; I WAS INFORMED THE REAL REASON FOR THE CHK WAS THAT A CUSTOMS INSPECTOR IN SDM MISREAD THE REGISTRATION ON MY ACFT AND PROCEEDED WITH AN INQUIRY BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT WE WERE INVOLVED IN A DRUG SMUGGLING INCIDENT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.