Another "success" for USC...uh...USAPA

[ironspud]

July 24, 2008, 10:49PM
US Airways pilot dismissed over firing gun in jet cockpit

WASHINGTON — The US Airways captain whose gun discharged in the cockpit of a plane landing in Charlotte , N.C., was fired by the airline and removed from the program that allows pilots to be armed, federal safety officials said Thursday.
"The individual is no longer a federal flight deck officer," Kip Hawley, administrator of the Transportation Security Administration and assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said after testifying at a House aviation subcommittee hearing.
Hawley wouldn't say if investigators had decided the March incident was caused by pilot error.
Some industry activists have suggested that the design of the gun's trigger lock and holster makes an accidental discharge possible. But Hawley said Thursday that wasn't a contributing factor.
According to a Charlotte airport police report, the US Airways captain, Jxxxs Lxxxxxxxxn, was stowing his .40-caliber pistol when it discharged a bullet through the jet's cockpit wall and fuselage.
Nobody was injured on the March 22 flight from Denver carrying 124 passengers and five crew members when the gun discharged about eight minutes before landing at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport.
TSA said that the discharge was the first since pilots were allowed to be armed in an effort to protect flights from the same fate of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Lxxxxxxxxn and spokesmen for US Airways and its pilots union did not immediately return phone messages seeking comment.

 

[becket]

US Air has no pilot union.

 

[Bringupthebird]

I heard USAPA was going to sue the gun as it conspired with the bullet to harm the pilot's career. Seham said he thought it was a slam dunk.

 

[Bavarian Chef]

You're saying the union should have saved this moron's job? He should have been fired.

Yes I am a FFDO.

 

[Deadalus]

Their only response was, "we plan to use date of hire to deal with this situation."

 

[Bad-Andy]

You're saying the union should have saved this moron's job? He should have been fired.

Yes I am a FFDO.

I second that... And, just for clarification, it happened while we were still ALPA (for what it's worth...).

 

[OnTheDole]

I think its an even bigger failure on the part of the FFDO program. They insist on breaking fundimental rules of safe weapon handling with their SOPs then turn the other cheek when something that was bound to happen - happens

Oh yeah... and USAPA is a spindless joke that would only put forth the effort to save this guy if he was among their inner circle

 

[PHXFLYR]

I second that... And, just for clarification, it happened while we were still ALPA (for what it's worth...).

Well if that's the case, not to worry. Bradford Thuer and Seham can claim that seeing the gun discharged while you were ALPA and you idiots have decertified the union since then,they'll claim that they "are not party to that agreement" and that Captain Dead Eye's firing is "moot"


PHXFLYR

 

[Scope out RJ's]

I heard USAPA was going to sue the gun as it conspired with the bullet to harm the pilot's career. Seham said he thought it was a slam dunk.

Now that's funny.:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

 

[Dan Roman]

I think its an even bigger failure on the part of the FFDO program. They insist on breaking fundimental rules of safe weapon handling with their SOPs then turn the other cheek when something that was bound to happen - happens

Oh yeah... and USAPA is a spindless joke that would only put forth the effort to save this guy if he was among their inner circle

That's a good response and good reason why the union SHOULD try and help this guy. I don't know enough of the situation to judge if it was an honest mistake or not, but his "union" should be doing all it can to find out and defend him. Unfortanatly, USAPA does not have the experience and resources ALPA has and as a result, this pilot's career is not as well protected as a USAPA pilot as he would be if he was ALPA.