Fedex plane runs off runway at ORD

[big_al]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WEATHER/12/01/western.storm.ap/index.html

 

[HA25]

I don't have a link yet, no account with the Chicago tribune, but I think it was an airbus, A310.

Wasn't one hit by lightning there too?

Wow, bad day to fly.

 

[HA25]

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=4813003

 

[big_al]

and an accident at San Diego too, bad week for fedex

 

[HA25]

And yet their CP just put out a letter recently to his captains admonishing them on not accepting flights that Dispatch and ops says are good to go... I wonder if Fedex isn't the biggest pilot pusher out there, and nobody will admit it. They sure seem to have a lot of incidents related to weather for the number of operations per day they have vs. other airlines.

not attacking Fedex in saying this, I'd love nothing more than to work for them, but just wondering if there isn't pressure to go that doesn't exist at other ops.

edit: My bad, the letter was about MEL's and not weather, but nevertheless, it should always be the captains decision..

here is the exact words of the CP:

3) PIC authority means you are in charge of the aircraft..but also accountable. If a MEL is written correctly or an aircraft repair is signed off correctly, you can still decide not to accept the aircraft for flight.. but there may be consequences. Ask all the questions you like, consult with the Duty Officer, Flight Standards, MX, Flight Test, Engineering or the Tech Pilots. But if they say it's okay to go, then it is. If you then refuse the aircraft, be prepared to defend your decisions on facts.. not with "I still don't like it". Two Captains recently questioned MEL's, which, as it turns out, were written incorrectly. This was determined by the consultations. Good on them. We have also had three Captains refuse aircraft after all the consultations and they were wrong. remarkably wrong. We get paid to make correct judgments and decisions. We are the ultimate safety valve..but we have to know what we are talking about. If you can't figure out these types of things or pick ! the correct course of action, then down bid so you're not in charge.

 

[Abbey]

Crystal Ball

I sense another heated letter from the Cheif Pilots' Offices will be soon to arrive. The last one was great. Just remember, FedEx pilots don't suck all the time.

 

[Captain Overs]

I've got an idea. Would it be so hard for Fedex to keep it's planes on runways, without damaging them, or landing short in trees? If they were a passenger outfit they'd be out of business.

 

[HA25]

Surely the FAA and their POI has to be scratching his head by now..

 

[RadioClash]

Oh crap here we go...

"Airline x did this", "well airline y did this", "oh yeah well airline z did this and you ugly."

 

[737 Pylt]

and an accident at San Diego too, bad week for fedex

It's been a bad 5 years for Fed Ex (ref the CP rant letter thread that was pulled). Nobody cares though, its cargo, and no pax are involved, no lawsuits, no lawyers chasing ambulances and nobody crying bloody murder on TV that they "almost died."

737

 

[jonjuan]

It's been a bad 5 years for Fed Ex (ref the CP rant letter thread that was pulled). Nobody cares though, its cargo, and no pax are involved, no lawsuits, no lawyers chasing ambulances and nobody crying bloody murder on TV that they "almost died."

737

That is unless over 1/2 my case of Chia Pets I ordered from Taiwan arrive broken before Xmas. If so, it's lawsuit time.

 

[instructordude]

Deleted.

 

[FNG_that's me]

This just doesn't seem like that big a deal to me. Obviously, putting a truck in the mud isn't good, but really it's not so uncommon...and considering the wx, not to tough to do. For the reasons that 737 pylt said, as well as many others, nobody will care. No injuries, probably no damage...heck, they probably took so long towing it in because they unloaded the packages first so they could get there in time.

Big Deal! I just hope the crew gets some support, since they got to their destination safely with such bad weather.

Heck, it's probably even good for marketing. People see that and think, 'My Chia Pet got here and Aunt Martha didn't, yippie!' Great PR, Brilliant!!

 

[Aviator7576]

pr

Fng...

You think that pictures of an airplane off the rwy in the mud is good pr??? I hate to see what would have to happen to have bad pr...

Aviator7576

 

[HA25]

Why isn't UPS having these problems? And they even hire people with less than honorable discharges from the Airforce I'm finding out..

 

[Headfake14]

haven't heard all the details...was during rollout? Taxiing? ect.

 

[capt. megadeth]

It's been a bad 5 years for Fed Ex (ref the CP rant letter thread that was pulled). Nobody cares though, its cargo, and no pax are involved, no lawsuits, no lawyers chasing ambulances and nobody crying bloody murder on TV that they "almost died."

737

Maybe the pilots should sue the airplane manufacturer. I mean, now they might have post traumatic stress disorder. Or how about the seat manufacturer.....maybe if they had more comfortable seats, they would not have run off the runway. Maybe their shoes slipped off the rudder pedals.....maybe they could sue the shoe manufacturer. Any other ideas? I mean, the pilots could freak out and say they almost died. Maybe then someone will care.

 

[FNG_that's me]

Fng...

You think that pictures of an airplane off the rwy in the mud is good pr??? I hate to see what would have to happen to have bad pr...

Aviator7576

I've seen the picture, it's an airplane sitting in the snow...viewed from about 500yards away. It looks calm and pleasant. Remember, we're talking about the average public consumer. He's thinking, damn...I'm glad they got here with my shiznit even thought the pax carriers canc'd everything.

This is not a hit on the pax carriers, the public would be livid if one of them had slid off the runway and I support the preemptive cancellations. I'm just pointing out how I feel the public views stuff like this. They view it from a very personal and 'how does this effect me' standpoint.

Bottom line, I don't think anybody stopped shipping their stuff on Fedex because of this story/picture.

 

[capt. megadeth]

And they even hire people with less than honorable discharges from the Airforce I'm finding out..

Oh brother....here we go

 

[HA25]

Oh brother....here we go

Sorry man, guess it's a sore spot. My bad.

 

[Scrapdog]

Sorry man, guess it's a sore spot. My bad.

Wow V7 - I guess it sure is. I remember your little diatribe about a week ago about how the AF pilots in Desert Storm were merely "button pushers" when you couldn't have been further from the truth. I thought, "hey - the guy's just having a bad day and decided to say some absolute bullsh*t he didn't mean." But I guess now I see your true colors shining through.

 

[HA25]

Wow V7 - I guess it sure is. I remember your little diatribe about a week ago about how the AF pilots in Desert Storm were merely "button pushers" when you couldn't have been further from the truth. I thought, "hey - the guy's just having a bad day and decided to say some absolute bullsh*t he didn't mean." But I guess now I see your true colors shining through.

doesn't change any of the facts, does it?

I had an honorable discharge, she didn't and clearly her gender play a big role in her getting this job more so than any AirForce background.

If my True Colors are such that an Honorable Discharge should be a minimum requirement for a job in this profession, then proud to sport'em.

Peace out...

 

[L'il J.Seinfeld]

Why isn't UPS having these problems? And they even hire people with less than honorable discharges from the Airforce I'm finding out..

And that has what to do with flying airplanes?

 

[Scrapdog]

doesn't change any of the facts, does it?

I had an honorable discharge, she didn't and clearly her gender play a big role in her getting this job more so than any AirForce background.

If my True Colors are such that an Honorable Discharge should be a minimum requirement for a job in this profession, then proud to sport'em.

Peace out...

Nope V7, it sure doesn't...and I guess it doesn't change your personal issues you've got against AF pilots in general either. And that's too bad...

Peace out...

 

[Scrapdog]

And that has what to do with flying airplanes?

L'il J. - great point, I was thinking that exactly. I guess it's a personal agenda he's got.

 

[instructordude]

doesn't change any of the facts, does it?

I had an honorable discharge, she didn't and clearly her gender play a big role in her getting this job more so than any AirForce background.

If my True Colors are such that an Honorable Discharge should be a minimum requirement for a job in this profession, then proud to sport'em.

Peace out...

Yeah, but she was a pilot from what I have heard. You were discharged from the Mexican Army as a cook.

 

[HA25]

you people are a disgrace to the profession defending her actions. How sad that charactor has no place in your view of what makes for a good pilot. We live in the era of the Clinton presidency, I suppose its to be expected. Godless communists may have lost the war on the economic front, but they sure took home the prize in the culture war.

 

[capt. megadeth]

she didn't and clearly her gender play a big role in her getting this job more so than any AirForce background.

...

Like I said.....here we go......how did I know that was coming next?

Didn't you know that all we have to do is show our tits to the HR people at the airlines and we are in class the next day? None of us are ever hired with the min quals. Yep, that's it....that's why our last new hire class has all white males in it. I guess there weren't enough of us willing to show our tities.

 

[AC560]

I guess there weren't enough of us willing to show our tities.

If you are willing to show them I am willing to look!

I'm just pointing out how I feel the public views stuff like this.

Don & Roma (Chicago talk radio) were talking about the accident this morning and how dedicated cargo pilots are to be flying when all the passenger flights were canceled (not trying to start any sort of debate on cargo versus passenger just passing the info along). So I think what you are saying has some truth to it.

 

[capt. megadeth]

not trying to start any sort of debate on cargo versus passenger just passing the info along).

Uh oh......now you did it......here we go again.