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

[weasel_lips]

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.

Hey...

Your merger at Southern Air / Cargo 360 went Date Of Hire... I don't hear you bitching about that.

Tango Charlie

 

[Capi_Cafre']

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

Really unfortunate. This was a known hazard that clearly required a higher level of care by the Operator, but there's simply no excuse for the cretins running the program establishing procedures that run contrary to the most basic tenets of safe firearm handling. Wrong hardware + bad S.O.P. + the human factor that any good safety system should be designed to minimize = accident waiting to happen.

 

[eaglesview]

Really unfortunate. This was a known hazard that clearly required a higher level of care by the Operator, but there's simply no excuse for the cretins running the program establishing procedures that run contrary to the most basic tenets of safe firearm handling. Wrong hardware + bad S.O.P. + the human factor that any good safety system should be designed to minimize = accident waiting to happen.

At last a reasonable post. I am not an FFDO but have had the "defect" of the new holster explained to me and even to this non gun owner it seems obvious.

As far as USAPA goes the westies just love having something to blame everything that goes wrong on the East. I am not USAir and am still an ALPA member but here is a news flash. When Santa turns out to be made up it's not USAPA's fault.

 

[Freight Dog]

The guy screwed up. Plain and simple...

I'd like to see how he wrote it up in the maintenance log though.

 

[Freight Dog]

The holster is fine. If he had followed the SOP, this would have never happened, and he wouldn't have gotten fired... pun slightly intended.

 

[Capi_Cafre']

At last a reasonable post. I am not an FFDO but have had the "defect" of the new holster explained to me and even to this non gun owner it seems obvious.

As far as USAPA goes the westies just love having something to blame everything that goes wrong on the East. I am not USAir and am still an ALPA member but here is a news flash. When Santa turns out to be made up it's not USAPA's fault.

If in my attempt to rationally discuss my feelings on the actual incident I failed to convey my utter contempt for the abomination known as USAPA, please allow me to do so at this time.

 

[Bavarian Chef]

At last a reasonable post. I am not an FFDO but have had the "defect" of the new holster explained to me and even to this non gun owner it seems obvious.

As far as USAPA goes the westies just love having something to blame everything that goes wrong on the East. I am not USAir and am still an ALPA member but here is a news flash. When Santa turns out to be made up it's not USAPA's fault.

The "defect" of the holster? Huh? By "defect" do you mean the jacka$$ that was wearing it, or um, supposedly placing it on the side panel?

 

[eaglesview]

The "defect" of the holster? Huh? By "defect" do you mean the jacka$$ that was wearing it, or um, supposedly placing it on the side panel?

Your right, poor choice of words. The holster is poorly designed. I don't believe you will have a lot of trouble finding FFDO's that agree with that.

 

[Bavarian Chef]

Your right, poor choice of words. The holster is poorly designed. I don't believe you will have a lot of trouble finding FFDO's that agree with that.

Again, huh?

Never mind, not really right for a public forum. Oh that's right -- you have no idea what you are talking about. Got it.

 

[Tweaker]

my 2 pennies
This specific FFDO - did not follow protocol, also an idiot - it's on him

FFDO protocols - seriously flawed, but not really a factor here

USAPA - had nothing to do with this, and had no standing to intervene

ALPO - chose not to intervene, and I agree with their decision. It would have been a squandering of resources. In cases of gross negligence and willful misconduct you are, legally speaking, on your own.

Overall - A big black eye on a program that serves its purpose well, in spite of the beaurocrats (sp?) running the show in the gubment.