WITH 2 EXPERIMENTAL ACFT IN FORMATION; THE WINGMAN BREAKS OFF UNEXPECTEDLY AFTER A RADIO AND VERTIGO PROB; LNDG AT A FIELD NEAR NPA.
Synopsis
WITH 2 EXPERIMENTAL ACFT IN FORMATION; THE WINGMAN BREAKS OFF UNEXPECTEDLY AFTER A RADIO AND VERTIGO PROB; LNDG AT A FIELD NEAR NPA.
Narrative
ON THE AFTERNOON OF NOV/TUE/04; AS A FLT OF 2; WE WERE CRUISING VFR ON TOP UNDER RA'S FROM PENSACOLA; FL. MY WINGMAN HAD LESS EXPERIENCED THAN I HAD DETERMINED. ALTHOUGH WE WERE ON TOP WITH OVER 10 MI VISIBILITY; HE EXPERIENCED RADIO DIFFICULTIES AND SUBSEQUENTLY EXPERIENCED VERTIGO PROBS IN SPITE OF THE REF TO THE HORIZON; CLOUDS AND MY ACFT. THE #2 ACFT DEPARTED THE FORMATION WITHOUT CLRNC AND DSNDED TO A LNDG AT ZZZ. APCH CTL INDICATED THAT THEY WERE TRACKING HIM ON RADAR AND WERE CLRING ANY OTHER TFC. HE HAD ALREADY SWITCHED TO 121.5 AND DECLARED AN EMER. AFTER HIS LNDG; I WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE HIS LOCATION AND CIRCLED ABOVE HIM WHILE HE DEPARTED AND RETURNED TO BASE AT DESTIN; FL. ON THE RETURN I KEPT HIM IN THE LEAD POS AND FLEW AFT TO ASSIST HIM IN ANY UNUSUAL ATTITUDES BY INITIATING WHICH DIRECTION TO TURN TO STAY CLR OF RESTR AIRSPACE AND ARRIVE AT THE DEP POINT. AFTER LNDG WE DISCUSSED THE SIT AND I ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY AS THE SENIOR FLT LEADER FOR HIS ACTIONS. I ALSO DID NOT INTERVIEW HIM PRIOR TO THE FLT TO SUFFICIENTLY ASCERTAIN HIS ACTUAL RECENT PLT SKILLS. THIS INCIDENT WAS A DIRECT VIOLATION OF MY PERSONAL CONDITIONS FOR TRAINING AND TRAVEL WITH A NEW PLT. IT WAS DONE WITH MY ACCEPTANCE BUT ONLY AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO XFER THIS ACFT AND TRAIN THIS PLT AT A LCL ARPT HAD FAILED. IN THE FUTURE; ALL CONDITIONS MUST BE FAVORABLE FOR CHKOUT/FAMILIARIZATION TRAINING INCLUDING FAMILIAR TERRITORY AND CLRLY VFR CONDITIONS PRIOR TO TRAVEL XCOUNTRY.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.