PLT OF AN SMT TWIN WAS OBSERVED MAKING AN EXHIBITION FLT OVER A SMALL UNCTLED ARPT.
Synopsis
PLT OF AN SMT TWIN WAS OBSERVED MAKING AN EXHIBITION FLT OVER A SMALL UNCTLED ARPT.
Narrative
I WOULD FIRST REFER TO THE ENCLOSED LETTER DATED JAN/SAT/95; WHICH I DID NOT RECEIVE UNTIL JAN/MON/95; IT BEING SENT; UNSIGNED TO OUR HOME OFFICE IN EL DORADO; AR; AND FORWARDED TO MY ATTN. TO THIS I GIVE THE FOLLOWING NARRATIVE. ACFT WAS OCCUPIED BY MYSELF AS PIC AND 1 PAX. BOTH OF US WERE PAST GLIDER/ULTRALIGHT PLTS. HOWEVER; PAX IN R SEAT HELD NO PLT CERTIFICATE. HE WAS ALLOWED TO FLY FROM THE R SEAT ONCE WE WERE CLR OF LITTLE ROCK CTL AREA. AS WE NEARED THE WARRENSBURG; MO; DEST; SAID PAX WISHED TO LOOK AT HIS HOME IN THE COUNTRY. I ALLOWED HIM TO CIRCLE HIS HOUSE AND POINTED OUT THAT I WAS WATCHING FOR OBSTRUCTIONS ANTENNAS AND CAUTIONED HIM ON THIS AS HE HAD MENTIONED A DESIRE TO OBTAIN HIS LICENSE. ALTHOUGH WE WERE NOT OVER ANY PART OF A COMMUNITY; THE ACFT WAS ALWAYS AN ESTIMATED PLUS 700 FT AGL. PAX NOTED SEVERAL TIMES HE DID NOT RELATE SPD TO GND DUE TO ALT SO UPON APCH TO 9K4 I ASKED IF HE WOULD LIKE TO FLY DOWN RWY AT CRUISE PWR (75 PERCENT) AND THEN HAVE DEMONSTRATED HOW THE ACFT PERFORMED IN CLB. THERE WAS ALSO ICE AND SNOW BOTH ON AND IN THE PROX OF THE RWY AND I WANTED TO LOOK OVER THE RWY PRIOR TO LNDG. THE AREA WAS CLRED BOTH VISUALLY AND BY RADIO UNICOM AND MY INTENTIONS WERE ANNOUNCED. THIS WAS PERFORMED; THE CLB WAS EXECUTED SMOOTHLY WITH ABOUT 1 PLUS G TO ABOUT 1000 PLUS FT AGL AND AIRSPD WAS NOT ALLOWED TO DETERIORATE BELOW 90-100 KTS. ACFT WAS ROLLED TO RIGHT AND THEN LEVELED. AT NO TIME WAS PAX OR MYSELF CONCERNED AS TO THE ATTITUDE OR BANK. THIS BEING AN INST ACFT; I CERTAINLY RESPECT THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON GIMBALS AND UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD PERMIT A 'SPILL' AND RELATED STRESS TO THIS INST. CTL OF ACFT WAS RETURNED TO PAX AND SLOW AIRSPD RESULTED IN SOME ALT LOSS OF DOWNWIND LEG. AT BASE; PAX PASSED CTL OF ACFT TO MYSELF AS PLT INQUIRING AS TO 'HOW FAST ACFT WOULD TURN AROUND.' I DEMONSTRATED THIS FROM BASE TO FINAL THEN EXTENDED LNDG GEAR/FLAPS AND EXECUTED A NORMAL LNDG. I WOULD ESTIMATE THAT TURN TO FINAL WAS 400 FT AFL. IT MAY HAVE BEEN LOWER; BUT NOT 100-150 FT. AS A SIDE NOTE; ENGS WERE CUT BEFORE CLOSING ON RAMP PARKING AS A PRECAUTION OF PAX'S CHILDREN PRESENT. I USUALLY CUT ENGS ASAP IF PERSONS ARE PRESENT; ESPECIALLY CHILDREN. NO OTHER ACFT WERE IN THE AREA AND NONE MANNED ON RAMP. AS MENTIONED EARLIER WITH ICE AND SNOW; I WAS JUST GETTING PAX AS CLOSE TO BUILDING AND EXIT AS POSSIBLE. WITH ALL THE ABOVE SAID; IT IS NOT MY ATTEMPT NOR DESIRE TO CONTRADICT THE ENCLOSED LETTER; IT HAS MERIT. IT IS FELT THAT THE WRITER IMPLIED A 'SHOW-OFF' ATTITUDE ON MY PART WITH A DISREGARD FOR SAFETY AND PROFESSIONALISM. I FEEL THIS IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH MY ATTITUDE AND HAVE TRIED TO COMMUNICATE THIS BY TRUTHFULLY POINTING OUT THE WAY ACTIONS WERE TAKEN. HOWEVER; IN RETROSPECT AN ARPT ENVIRONMENT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE PLACE TO ACCOMPLISH SUCH; ALTHOUGH I WAS ASSURED THERE WOULD BE NO OBSTRUCTIONS TO SUCH A DEMONSTRATION IN THIS AREA. AT NO TIME DID THE ACFT APCH A STALL BY A WIDE MARGIN NOR WAS ACFT FLOWN IN PROX OF HOUSES OR PERSONS ON THE GND. IN CLOSING AND REPLY TO THE UNSIGNED LETTER'S FINAL PARAGRAPH; THE ENTITY AND PLT TAKES A GREAT DEAL OF PRIDE IN THE USE AND MAINT OF THIS ACFT AND OTHERS. THE PLT CERTAINLY DID NOT INTENTIONALLY WISH TO SHOW DISRESPECT FOR THE FARS NOR AVIATION SAFETY. IT IS OF UTMOST CONCERN TO ME; AS EVERY SUMMER I MAKE THOUSANDS OF LOW SPD HEAVILY LOADED STEEP TURNS SPRAYING CROPS AND BIRD PATROL OVER RICE FIELDS AND FISH PONDS. I WOULD ONLY BE TOO GLAD TO HAVE A CHANCE TO DISCUSS THIS INCIDENT WITH THE WRITER OF THE LETTER IN QUESTION AND IF NEED BE; EXPRESS MY APOLOGY FOR ANY DISMAY I MAY HAVE CAUSED THESE INDIVIDUALS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.