AN ENSTROM HELICOPTER 280 SHARK TKOF WITHOUT TWR RELEASE CAUSED BY MISCOMMUNICATION IN COCKPIT BETWEEN CAPT AND FO.

Date: 2001-09 · Aircraft: Enstrom Helicopter 280 Shark · Phase: takeoff

Anomalies: airspace-violation-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|other-no-departure-release

Synopsis

AN ENSTROM HELICOPTER 280 SHARK TKOF WITHOUT TWR RELEASE CAUSED BY MISCOMMUNICATION IN COCKPIT BETWEEN CAPT AND FO.

Narrative

A VFR DAY MY ACFT DEPARTED MEDORD ARPT WITH OUT BEING RELEASED. THERE WERE A VARIETY OF EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LED TO THIS MISTAKE; YET THE ULTIMATE CULPRIT WAS A MISCOMMUNICATION BETWEEN MY FIRST OFFICER AND MYSELF. THE MORNING STARTED OUT ROUGH DUE TO THE NEW SECURITY REGULATIONS BEING IMPLEMENTED BY THE FAA. THE ADDITIONAL TIME TO DO THE FULL SECURITY CHECK COUPLED WITH WAITING FOR A NEW RELEASE WITH THE CURRENT WX LED TO A LATE START. I WORK HARD TO NEVER RUSH MY FO BEYOND HIS OR HER ABILITY; YET IN THIS CASE AFTER LOOKING BACK; I BELIEVE I DID RUSH THE FO. EVEN IF I SAID NOTHING VERBAL; I PROBABLY SAID IT WITH MY ACTIONS BECAUSE WE WERE RUNNING LATE AND I WAS MOVING QUICK. WITH THE SECURITY CHECKS; NEW WX BRIEF; AND A NEW RELEASE OUT OF THE WAY; WE BOTH CONTINUED WITH OUR DUTIES; READ THE CHECKLIST AND PROCEEDED TO START THE ACFT. DURING THE TAXI; FO CONTACTED CENTER FOR THE CLRNC AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT CASCADE DEP; HE DID SO. WHILE FO CONTACTED CASCADE FOR THE CLRNC; I ON THE OTHER HAND WANTED TO VERIFY THE WINDS. THIS CREATED A SIT WHERE I WAS LISTENING TO ATIS WHILE THE FO WAS PICKING UP THE CLRNC. DURING THIS TIME; I HEARD AN ACR INDICATE THEY WERE TAXIING TO A3. NOTE: ALFA TXWY SOUTH OF A3 WERE CLOSED. WE TAXIED TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE JUST NORTH OF THE ACFT. FO FINISHED UP HIS DUTIES. FO DID BRIEF THE CLRNC. I BELIEVE IT WAS THE JACKSON 7; AS FILED; MAINTAIN 11000. HE NEVER INDICATED THAT WE WERE BEING HELD FOR RELEASE AND I NEVER ASKED AT THAT TIME. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO WAIT FOR THE OTHER ACR TO TAXI OUT. FINALLY WE QUERIED THEM; ASKING THEM IF THEY WERE GOING TO GO. THEY INDICATED THAT THEY WERE WAITING ON US. I WAS SURPRISED; BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR DEPARTURE OR BETTER PUT RELEASED. AS I ENTERED THE RWY; SOMETHING FELT WRONG TO ME; AND BECAUSE I DIDN'T HEAR THE CLRNC; I ASKED FO IF WE WERE CLEARED; AND FO ANSWERED YES; THINKING ARE ALL THE CHECKLIST CLRED. IN HINDSIGHT; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF I HAD SAID; ARE WE RELEASED? WITH THAT CONFIRMATION I DEPARTED. I THINK IT WAS AROUND 3000 FT TO 4000 FT AND PRIOR TO THE VOR AND TO CONTINUE ON COURSE. THEY ALSO LET US KNOW THAT WE HAD DEPARTED WITHOUT BEING RELEASED. THEY HAVE US A NUMBER TO CALL; WE TOOK IT DOWN. I TALKED TO THE FO ABOUT IT AND THEN PROCEEDED WITH THE BUSINESS AT HAND. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT NOT CONTINUING THE SERIES OF MISTAKES; AND I MENTIONED THIS TO THE FO. THE REST OF THE FLT WENT WELL. WE GOT THE RWY AT 100 FT TO MINIMUMS AND LANDED WITH OUT ADDITIONAL INCIDENTS. I THEN CALLED CASCADE APCH. THEY WERE VERY NICE AND INFORMED ME THAT MY MISTAKE DID NOT CAUSE ANY PROBLEMS WITH OTHER ACFT AND ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10; THIS IS ON THE LOW SIDE. AFTER CALLING THEM; I CALLED MY CHIEF PLT AND INFORMED HIM OF THE SIT.

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