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Is Colgan toast?

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anon

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 26, 2003
Posts
141
How much liability can Colgan absorb? Would CO be able to keep them afloat or will this be it for them?
 
It will be interesting to watch play out. They are insured for this type of thing like any airline would be. Obviously there is a limit on that, but this is step 2 and that will play out at about step 4000.

One thing Colgan has on their side is how much money they make for CAL, and how much money that airplane makes. Hopefully that will keep them flying in the mean time. Wouldn't be suprised to see the name change. Wouldn't be suprised to see lots of "changes" in management, which is probably appropriate, especially considering how they are hammering on sick policies and pay.

The training program is OBVIOUSLY FAA 121 approved, so I would think they are not liable specifically for any deficiencies in recovery techniques etc. Would make the assumption since they are saying that their training is similar to Bombardier / Flight Safety that it does not look much different than Horizon etc.
 
Well, Colgan has hull/liability through Delta's aircraft insurance co. Suits will probably be made against CO, FAA, Bombardier, Flight Safety, the Pilots estates, New York Port Authority, Buffalo Airport Authority, Alaska/Fedex/Ups (all mentioned in the CVR), the manufacturer of the stick shaker, pusher, ice itself, ALPA, Allah, Yahweh, Dali Lama, God, etc.
 
If my family was in the back and I learned about this, I would OWN Colgan

And many will. There will be huge punitive damages awarded in this one. Juries, if it gets that far, don't like gross negligence.
 
And many will. There will be huge punitive damages awarded in this one. Juries, if it gets that far, don't like gross negligence.

And I hope they do. I hope Gulfstream Academy is named also. Financial accountability (ie: lawsuit) is the only language these people understand. They pay pilots peanuts, meanwhile the execs earn what?

MONEY is the only language they listen to. Time to talk BACK to them in MONEY.

Expect the FAA to get sued too ("how could the government let this happen..." etc etc).

Maybe, just maybe, a rare legit lawsuit will serve as a wake-up call to all parties involved.
 
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MONEY is the only language they listen to. Time to talk BACK to them in MONEY.

Just saying, for what it is worth-

You have a lot of animosity towards Colgan and that crew. I don't know why, but you do.

On this forum I've gone so far as to play recess sleeper: I invited a "tough CJC guy" to come whip my arse in LGA during one unimpressive exchange. That was simply brouhaha. The fact I'd stomp a mudhole in that guy's arse notwithstanding...

This event affects all of us. I'd never wish this particular kind of hardship on anyone. It HAPPENS, and anyone with a shred of perspective knows it.

So what peeved you about them? Why would you own them? Are you above reproach?

You seem reasonable, I just want to know what event truly torqued you about this.
 
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Just saying, for what it is worth-

You have a lot of animosity towards Colgan and that crew. I don't know why, but you do.

On this forum I've gone so far as to play recess sleeper: I invited a "tough CJC guy" to come whip my arse in LGA during one unimpressive exchange. That was simply brouhaha. The fact I'd stomp a mudhole in that guy's arse notwithstanding...

This event affects all of us. I'd never wish this particular kind of hardship on anyone. It HAPPENS, and anyone with a shred of perspective knows it.

So what peeved you about them? Why would you own them? Are you above reproach?

You seem reasonable, I just want to know what event truly torqued you about this.

Fair question. I will give a fair answer, from the heart (Miss USA 2009 jokes aside...)

In my opinion, two Part 121 pilots should not have failed to catch an approaching stall, then (ok, they were tired...they failed to catch it), then after they discovered the stall late, responded improperly.

The comments about "chip light" by the FO (sitting in the front of a Part 121 turboprop), etc, only add more pain to the misery.

This was Airmanship 101. Have I ever gotten a little slow on an approach? Sure. Have I missed a ATC heading change, or bungled a STAR? Sure. Landed a little harder than normal? Of course.

Have my copilot and I, collectively, fully stalled the airplane in ice (when we should have been "heads up" anyway), at night, then responded incorrectly?

Uh, Nope, haven't done that one yet. 50 passengers in the back in Buffalo weren't planning on it either.

In summary, at the end of the day, a pretty dum-dum error in the "pilot error" column caused this, in the "you gotta be sh--ing me" category.

Runaway trim? Ice lodged in elevator? Loss of EFIS, etc? Pilot has heart attack and heaves back on yoke as he flops around? Ok, I can accept this tragedy with a little less shock.

But a stall?

Not to repeat myself, but are you sh--ting me?
 
That's why there is insurance folks.... RIP to the deceased but this isn't the biggest aviation disaster we've ever had. Rightfully so the insurance will pay a few million each and the status quo will continue at the regionals.
 

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