2001-10 · NASA ASRS report 526418
CESSNA 172 INSTRUCTOR PLT UNKNOWINGLY CONDUCTED GND REFERENCE TRAINING MANEUVERS AROUND A MIL STATION RESULTING IN MIL PERSONNEL POSITIONING THEMSELVES ON THE STATION ROOF IN ORDER TO DEFEND THEIR FACILITY FROM A POSSIBLE ATTACK.
ON 10/FRI/01; I CALLED THE YYY FSS REGARDING VFR FLT TRAINING (PART 91) DEP FROM ZZZ ARPT; I ALSO RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING. I WAS INFORMED BY THE FSS THAT VFR FLT TRAINING AT ZZZ WAS PERMITTED WITHOUT FILING A FLT PLAN; ALSO; TRAINING WAS PERMITTED PROVIDING IT WAS CONDUCTED IN A SINGLE ENGINE NON-TURBO JET POWERED ACFT WEIGHING LESS THAN 4000 LBS. I WAS FURTHER INFORMED THAT NO PART 91 OPS WERE PERMITTED WITHIN THE ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE FROM THE SURFACE TO INFINITY. ON 10/FRI/01; AT APPROX XA00 HRS; I MET MY STUDENT AT ZZZ ARPT; AND PREFLTED A C172R. I OBTAIN THE CURRENT ATI; WHICH STATED THAT VFR FLT TRAINING OPS WERE PERMITTED OUTSIDE THE 'ENHANCED CLASS B' AIRSPACE. I THEN COMMUNICATING WITH CLRNC DELIVERY; GND CTL; ZZZ TWR AND YYY DEP. I DEPARTED ZZZ VFR TO THE S PRACTICE AREA. THERE MY STUDENT PRACTICED GND REFERENCE MANEUVERS OUTSIDE OF THE ENHANCED CLASS B; CLASS C AND CLASS D AIRSPACE. I RETURNED TO ZZZ WITHOUT INCIDENCE. DURING THE TAXI TO PARKING STAGE; I WAS INFORMED BY GND CTL TO COPY A TELEPHONE NUMBER AND CONTACT MR X. I CONTACTED MR X IMMEDIATELY AFTER PARKING. HE ASKED WHERE I HAD BEEN FLYING? I STATED THAT I WAS CONDUCTING FLT TRAINING IN THE S PRACTICE AREA; AROUND XXX. HE FURTHER QUERIED ABOUT THE KIND OF TRAINING I WAS CONDUCTING. I EXPLAINED TO MR X THAT MY STUDENT WAS PRACTICING GND REFERENCE MANEUVERS (TURNS AROUND A POINT; S-TURNS; SLIPS AND EMER DESCENTS) AT APPROX 1000 FT TO 3000 FT AGL. MR X STATED THAT A MIL STATION COMPLAINED OF A LOW FLYING ACFT CIRCLING THE VICINITY; AND THAT (A) MIL MEMBER(S); ARMED WAS ON THE ROOF. I EXPLAINED THAT I DID NOT NOTICE THE MIL OR MIL PERSONNEL DURING THE FLT. I FURTHER STATED THAT I BELIEVE THAT I REMAINED CLR OF ALL KNOWN RESTRICTED AIRSPACE. HE FURTHER STATED THAT ALTHOUGH HE DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT I HAD VIOLATED ANY RESTRED AIRSPACE; IT WAS UNWISE TO HAVE BEEN PERFORMING GND REF MANEUVERS IN THE VICINITY OF A MIL STATION IN THE WAKE OF EVENTS THAT OCCURRED ON 09/TUE/01. I AGREED WITH HIM; APOLOGIZED AND EXPLAINED THAT I DIDN'T REALIZE THE MIL STATION WAS THERE AND THAT I WOULD NOT CONDUCT FLT TRAINING IN THAT AREA IN THE FUTURE. HE WENT ON STATING THAT ALTHOUGH HE WOULD HAVE TO FILE A RPT; HE DIDN'T FEEL ANY FURTHER ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN. I HAVE YET TO HEAR ANY FURTHER MENTION OF THIS INCIDENT. FACTORS LEADING TO HIS INCIDENT INCLUDE; BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO LACK OF PERTINENT INFO RELAYED TO ME REGARDING RESTRS IN THE AREA BY FSS AND ATC; AND LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF MIL STATION LOCATION ON MY PART. OTHER FACTORS RELATING TO INCIDENT IS MIL HEIGHTENED TENSION LEVELS DUE TO LAST MONTH'S TRAGEDY AND GENERAL CONFUSION TO MANY CREATED BY THIS CRISIS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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