2002-08 · NASA ASRS report 558273
NMM APCH CTLR CONCERNED BY NAVY TRAINING PLT POLICY TO AVOID WX WHILE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN.
A T2 WAS INBOUND TO NMM FROM MEI; 1 MI W OF MOA. (THE MOA ALT IS 8000 FT TO FL230.) THE PLT WAS CLRED FROM 8000 FT TO 5000 FT; AND THEN ASKED FOR LOWER BECAUSE OF CLOUDS. I ASKED THE PLT IF SHE WAS IFR RATED; AND SHE SAID NO. I THEN ASKED IF SHE HAD AN INSTRUCTOR PLT ON BOARD; AND HER REPLY WAS; 'NO; I'M FLYING SOLO.' THIS SIT HAD THE POTENTIAL OF AN UNSAFE SIT. PLTS ASSIGNED TO NAS MERIDIAN ROUTINELY FLY ON IFR FLT PLANS; WITHOUT BEING IFR CERTIFIED. THESE PLTS ARE NOT ALLOWED (BY THE UNITED STATES NAVY) TO FLY THROUGH CLOUDS; BUT THEY FLY ON IFR FLT PLANS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CTLR ALLEGED THAT HE HAS TRIED TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE WITH MGMNT. THE RPTR WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY FAA/NAVY LOA DESCRIBING OPERATIONAL TRAINING ISSUES AND PROCS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH A NAVY SPOKESMAN REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: NAVY SPOKESMAN WAS AWARE OF 'CERTAIN ISSUES AT NMM; BTWN PLTS AND CTLRS.' THE SPOKESMAN STATED THE EXISTENCE AND APPLICATION OF OPNAV-3710; SPECIFYING THE RELATIONSHIP OF TRAINING PLTS TO IFR FLT PLAN FILING AND AVOIDANCE OF EX ELEMENTS. BASICALLY; NAVY TRAINING PLTS SHALL FILE IFR FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE; AS WELL AS FLYING TRAINING RTES; BUT THEY SHALL NOT PENETRATE WX CELLS UNLESS AN EMER CONDITION EXISTS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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