Super King Air 300
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 120; Flight Crew Total 7200; Flight Crew Type 700
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Company Policy; Human Factors
This is a multi-faceted problem extending all the way from the very top of our organization to each of the pilots involved with this same issue. We fly King Air 350i's configured with 9 total passenger seats. For the last year and a half; our company has routinely booked flights consisting of 9 adults plus 1 lap child under the age of 2 years. This was allowed to happen; in my opinion; due to a misinterpretation of regulations regarding lap children. See FAR 135.128 and 135.157. This issue was recently discovered by our company and an email directive was issued company wide to not allow more than 9 total passengers and 2 pilots aboard the King Air. This is due to the availability of only 9 oxygen masks in passenger compartment. For my particular instance; the trip sheet shows 10 passengers whereas my load manifest only shows 9. I do however believe that for this trip in question we only had a total of 9 passengers on board including the lap child. I think one of the original passengers never showed up. Unfortunately I do not know for sure nor can I prove it.
BE300 Captain states that his company has not been operating in compliance with FAR 135.157 due to only 9 passenger oxygen masks being available while carrying 9 passengers plus one lap child. He believes that he may have operated one of these 9+1 passenger flights. The company now carries 9 passengers maximum.