421 Crash in FL

[CDogg]

Back in February, I turned down a job from Debra flying her 421 around in the Florida region. I had done a few trips for her in another 421 before she bought 70BC. She was extremely pushy when it came to flying in weather, and the first trip I had to push back 3 days because of T-storms traversing all of our flight path. Thankfully I never gave into her demands. I ended up taking a job which paid pretty crappy, the schedule sucks, but "it's a jet job" right? I always thought how nice it would have been spending the holidays on their private island Guana Cay, just north of Marsh Harbour. Well, as I celebrate this holiday season on the road, I can only think how lucky I am that wasn't me sitting in the left seat this morning...

http://ww2.wjhg.com/global/video/Wo...oundImageURL=&activePane=info&playerVersion=7

 

[say again]

Very sad!!! God bless all involved. I've had a few flights where I had to tell people that we are going to have to wait a while for the wx to pass, and I HAVE NO problem telling people that. You just have to have a backbone and tell people what is what. Like it or leave it. I've been fortunate to fly with companies that will listen to exactly how I feel, and to actually stand by my decision.

 

[BushwickBill]

ugggghhhh

This is ********************ed...

 

[avbug]

I once had a passenger who jumped up and down, waved his fists in the air, screamed at me and hissed and spat and turned purple. He demanded that I go fly, told me he was paying the bills. Told me he'd have my job if I didn't do exactly what he wanted. He told me he was in charge, he was close personal friends with the CEO. He told me that he was paying the bills, and he would make the decisions.

I told him that effectively immediately, the airplane was grounded, that in my professional judgement the flight was not safe to conduct under the present circumstances, and that I would not carry him as a passenger until he regained control of himself. I also told him my only duty and concern was his safe passage and the safety of the airplane, and beyond that I would accept no other input when making my decision. He eventually calmed down and we were able to make the flight when circumstances warranted after a delay.

I don't care who wants what in that airplane. If I don't feel warm and fuzzy about the flight, it will not happen, period. Anything less is not responsible. This applies equally to a SIC...if the SIC doesn't feel good about the flight, the SIC has as much right and certainly a great responsibility to speak up and if necessary, take a stand. With respect to issues of safety of flight, there can be no compromise.

 

[whaleroast]

I once had a passenger who jumped up and down, waved his fists in the air, screamed at me and hissed and spat and turned purple. He demanded that I go fly, told me he was paying the bills. Told me he'd have my job if I didn't do exactly what he wanted. He told me he was in charge, he was close personal friends with the CEO. He told me that he was paying the bills, and he would make the decisions.

I told him that effectively immediately, the airplane was grounded, that in my professional judgement the flight was not safe to conduct under the present circumstances, and that I would not carry him as a passenger until he regained control of himself. I also told him my only duty and concern was his safe passage and the safety of the airplane, and beyond that I would accept no other input when making my decision. He eventually calmed down and we were able to make the flight when circumstances warranted after a delay.

I don't care who wants what in that airplane. If I don't feel warm and fuzzy about the flight, it will not happen, period. Anything less is not responsible. This applies equally to a SIC...if the SIC doesn't feel good about the flight, the SIC has as much right and certainly a great responsibility to speak up and if necessary, take a stand. With respect to issues of safety of flight, there can be no compromise.

Amen. Been there, done that. I've seen people intimidated by the same type of stuff and I have to admit it happened to me when I was young, new and eager to please. One really bad experience cured me of that problem. There's no worse feeling than being scared in an airplane that you are flying.

 

[USMCmech]

I always tell people, "If the pilot is scared to fly in this weather, do you really want to?"

 

[avbug]

I just tell them I'm afraid of heights. That usually does the trick.

I'll be happy to taxi them to the destination if they'll spring for the snow tires and buy me the big bag of sunflower seeds.