A METRO III PERFORMS AN UNAUTH TAXI; TWICE.
Synopsis
A METRO III PERFORMS AN UNAUTH TAXI; TWICE.
Narrative
WE WERE FLAG STOPPED INTO SAT ON OUR WAY TO MFE FROM AUS. UPON BOARDING PAX IN SAT IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTN THAT WE WOULD HAVE 2 WHEELCHAIR PAX ALONG WITH AN ATTENDANT THAT WAS ALSO UNABLE TO CLB THE AIRSTAIR DOOR. NEEDLESS TO SAY A SIMPLE 'QUICK TURN' IN SAT TURNED INTO A 30 MIN DELAY JUST BOARDING THOSE 3 PAX. THE TEMP IN THE CABIN WAS APPROX 90 DEGS. THE CAPT'S TEMP WAS ABOUT 100 DEGS HOTTER! WE OBTAINED OUR IFR CLRNC AND I BEGAN TO BRIEF THE PAX ON THE PA. AFTER BRIEFING THE PAX; I SWITCHED BACK TO THE COCKPIT INTERCOM TO COMPLETE THE TAXI CHK WITH THE CAPT. AFTER COMPLETING THE CHK; I NOTICED THAT THE GND CTL FREQ WAS NOT SET IN ANY OF THE RADIOS. WE WERE JUST ABOUT TO THE RWY BY THIS TIME! WE CALLED THE TWR AND THEY CLRED US FOR TKOF. APPROX 10 MINS INTO THE FLT THE R ENG DEVELOPED SOME PROBS AND WE RETURNED TO SAT UNEVENTFULLY AND DEPLANED ALL THE PAX. (AGAIN WITH GREAT PAINS.) WE OBTAINED ANOTHER ACFT THAT WAS IN SAT FOR MAINT AND LOADED EVERYONE INTO THE NEW ACFT. AS YOU MIGHT HAVE GUESSED; IT WAS AN EXACT REPEAT OF WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED ABOVE. WE TAXIED OUT TO THE RWY AGAIN WITHOUT TALKING TO GND! THE TWR GUYS; CAPT; AND MYSELF HAD A GOOD LAUGH AND WE COMPLETED THE FLT UNEVENTFULLY. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS ANY KIND OF TFC CONFLICT. I THINK THAT THE SIT IN SAT WAS DISTRACTING ENOUGH TO BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN NOT PICKING UP THE TAXI CLRNC. THE STATION AGENTS IN SAT ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO ACCEPT ANYONE FOR BOARDING UNLESS THEY ARE ABLE TO CLB THE AIRSTAIR DOOR THEMSELVES OR HAVE A PERSONAL ATTENDANT THAT CAN GET THEM UP THE STAIRS (AS PER COMPANY POLICY). ALSO; THE STATION PEOPLE DID NOT TELL US ON THE COMPANY FREQ THAT WE WOULD HAVE ANY PRE-BOARDS SO IT WAS A TOTAL SURPRISE. (LNDG IN SAT WAS A TOTAL SURPRISE TO BEGIN WITH!) ALSO; WE WERE IN A HURRY TO GET THROUGH SAT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE SINCE IT WAS NOT A NORMALLY SCHEDULED STOP.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.