C310 PLT BECAME CAUGHT IN WX DURING XCOUNTRY FLT RESULTING IN ENTERING CLASS C AIRSPACE AND LINING UP WITH THE WRONG RWY DURING LNDG.
Synopsis
C310 PLT BECAME CAUGHT IN WX DURING XCOUNTRY FLT RESULTING IN ENTERING CLASS C AIRSPACE AND LINING UP WITH THE WRONG RWY DURING LNDG.
Narrative
IN AN EFFORT TO BUILD MULTI-ENG TIME; I AGREED TO FLY WITH AN OPERATOR WHO HAD BUSINESS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE LEFT THE WEST COAST SEP/TUE/00 AND I GOT OUT FOR GOOD ON THE RETURN TRIP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY ON SEP/TUE/00. I AGREED TO PAY FOR ALL FUEL PLUS A HIGH HRLY RATE. (IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO RENT A MULTI WITH LOW TIME.) AS WE FLEW ACROSS THE COUNTRY; THE LIST OF MECHANICAL PROBS GREW AT AN EXPONENTIAL RATE. THE OWNER OF THE ACFT WAS AN OLD TIMER WHO WAS AFRAID OF AIRSPACE AND CONSIDERED THE FARS AN INFRINGEMENT OF HIS FREEDOM! HE REFERRED TO CLASS B AND RESTR AREAS AS 'THE LITTLE BLUE LINES.' HE PREFERRED TO GO GPS DIRECT AND NOT TALK TO ANYONE IF HE DIDN'T HAVE TO. AT ONE POINT; I HAD HIM FLY BECAUSE THE WX WAS LOW AND THE FLT TERMINATED BY FLYING TREE TOP LEVEL IN RAIN AND LOW CEILING. WHEN I BEGAN TO FLY AGAIN HE WAS IN SUCH A HURRY HE PRESSURED ME TO FLY VFR INTO WHAT APPEARED TO BE A TSTM. THAT'S WHEN I STARTED DOWN THROUGH A HOLE AND ENDED THE FLT. I LANDED AT THE PRIMARY ARPT IN THE CLASS C. BECAUSE OF MY LACK OF FAMILIARITY AND A BADLY PRECESSING DIRECTIONAL GYRO; I NEARLY LANDED ON THE WRONG RWY WITHOUT CLRNC TO LAND ON THAT RWY! IN MY OPINION; MY PAL WAS USING ME. I HAVE HIGHER RATINGS; SO IF ANYTHING WENT WRONG IT WOULD BE ON ME. HE SAID AT ONE POINT HE DIDN'T CARE IF THEY TOOK HIS LICENSE; HE'D FLY ANYWAY. I'M NOT SURE IF I VIOLATED ANY FARS DURING THIS TRIP BUT I'D HAD ENOUGH BULLYING AND DIDN'T FEEL SAFE IN THIS AIRPLANE; SO I GOT OUT 1500 MI FROM HOME. I FELT GOOD ABOUT THIS DECISION. BETTER TO BE ON THE GND WISHING YOU WERE IN THE AIR THAN IN THE AIR WISHING YOU WERE ON THE GND. THE PROBS WITH THIS FLT WERE MORE OF ETHICS AND JUDGEMENT THAN OPERATIONAL.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.