THE APCH OF AN IMPENDING HURRICANE IMPELS A PIC OF A CARGO ACFT TO ACCEPT 1 MORE PAX THAN HE HAS SEATS TO OFFER. 8 SEATS; 9 PAX.

Date: 1998-09 · Aircraft: L-1011 Tri-Star All Series · Phase: ground

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-other-unknown|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence|other-unspecified

Synopsis

THE APCH OF AN IMPENDING HURRICANE IMPELS A PIC OF A CARGO ACFT TO ACCEPT 1 MORE PAX THAN HE HAS SEATS TO OFFER. 8 SEATS; 9 PAX.

Narrative

ON SEP/XA/98 AT XY00; A CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE WAS APCHING THE ISLAND OF PUERTO RICO. I WAS TO FLY THE ACFT (L1011) OUT OF AGUADILLA; PR; (TJBQ) TO COLUMBUS; OH; ON OUR SCHEDULED FLT. THE ACFT IS LIMITED TO 8 PERSONS ON BOARD; ALTHOUGH THERE IS SEATING FOR 11. UPON ARR AT ARPT; WE HAD A TOTAL OF 9 COMPANY CREW MEMBERS WHICH INCLUDED 2 CAPTS; 2 FO'S; 2 FE'S; 2 LOAD MASTERS AND 1 MECH. WHEN IT WAS REALIZED OF TOO MANY PEOPLE ON BOARD; THE PERSON THAT WAS TO STAY BEHIND; WHICH WAS ONE OF THE LOAD MASTERS; WENT INTO AN UPROAR. NO ONE WANTED TO STAY BEHIND. THE ISLAND WAS EVACING AND ALL COMMERCIAL FLTS HAD CEASED AT APPROX XA00. NO OTHER WAY OFF THE ISLAND. I FELT THIS WAS AN EMER SIT. I WANTED TO AND MADE AN ATTEMPT TO CONTACT THE FAA; BUT NO ONE WAS AVAILABLE -- PROBABLY BECAUSE IT WAS SUNDAY. THE DIRECTOR OF OPS WAS THE ONLY ONE AVAILABLE AND AGREED WITH ME TO TAKE EVERYONE ON BOARD AND FAXED ME THE ENCLOSED LETTER. I FELT I DID THE ONLY LOGICAL THING TO DO UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. I PUT MYSELF IN HIS SHOES.

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