Answering Tough HR Questions

[TIS]

*********all the above will be on the CVR*********

Yup, and the NTSB will be the ones listening to it. That's not an attractive prospect.

I would not try to fight someone for the controls at 150AGL at a rate of sink around 600fpm (15sec from terra ferma)

So you'd let the plane hit the ground? I'll tell ya, if it's that or taking control, I'm gonna take control. I'm also going to make sure I've presented two unanswered challenges before I do so.

TIS

 

[TIS]

What would you do if the Captain smelled of alchohol?
The captain is seen by the van driver drinking late in the evening prior to the flight. What do you do?

Ah the ol' drinking captain question. Again the solution is clear -- the airplane will not move until there is no question at all that the operation is safe.

Absolutley correct! But a few additional things to keep in mind begin with the fact that ethanol is odorless and tasteless. You can't smell it so you don't want to be saying you smelled alcohol because that's physically impossible. This, as I will point out, is a legal issue once it happens and what you say to others may become very relevant in such a detailed way.

IF the Captain is drunk or has been drinking the plane can’t leave. That’s a given. How you make that happen is what’s open for discussion.

That IF is a big question though and since it involves the law and is possibly criminal in nature it is something that must be established to a legal certainty. That IS NOT something that you, as a pilot, can do in the field. So, no matter what your suspicions are, remember that if you approach the guy about being drunk you’re making a CRIMINAL accusation that you have no way of proving, not to mention the fact that it isn’t your job to do so. Your job is to ensure the safety of flight, which, in this case, means NOT flying at all.

Thus, one effective approach to solving this problem involves seeing this from the company’s standpoint. The last thing they need is the notoriety in the papers if ANYONE gets wind of the situation besides you. What this leads to is the absolute bottom line and to the first thing you MUST ensure; NO ONE, especially not a member of the general public, can be allowed to come into contact with the affected crewmember. This problem HAS to be resolved quietly AND effectively.

Once you have the guy aside you should make your position clear that HE will not be flying that day. Even if he agrees you cannot let it end there. But exactly what you do as a follow-up depends on WHETHER he agrees or not.

If he agrees to step aside you need to make certain something gets done about his problem. What the guy needs is help and you need to suggest that the time to get it is now. The penalty for not getting it might be full disclosure by you to the company of what happened. Give him an opportunity to seek the help he needs and prove that he’s done so to you, say, a certain amount of time, beyond which you will go straight to the company.

If he does not agree let him know you’ll call scheduling and refuse to fly. Also make it clear that you will explain WHY you’re refusing to fly. That will bring things right to a conclusion.

This question is like all situational questions. It does not, in and of itself, contain enough information for you to proceed to a resolution. You’ll need to ask a few questions before you answer. Such questions as, “have any passengers been boarded yet?” or “Has he been in contact with any ramp personnel or the flight attendant?” are good places to start. Remember though, your answer needs to begin with the fact that the plane is going NOWHERE until the issue of sobriety has been dealt with in some way. It doesn’t matter whether the Captain proves his innocence or you persuade him to allow a replacement to fill in for him, the central issue of safety MUST NOT ever be compromised.

TIS

 

[TIS]

Ok the minimums question.


So there are a few things to consider.

Does he, in fact have the airport in sight?

My question is, why would he? I know that in reality he might but we're dealing with a hypothetical situation so I can use theory here as if it were fact.

Sooooo, in a coordinated cockpit in such a tight spot I would ask what the flying pilot is doing looking out the window so that he has something to see in the first place.

As crew oriented pilots all know, there has to be a flyer and a monitor on an approach. The flyer flies the plane until the monitor says he sees something. That's an essential piece of crew-coordination discipline. If the PF is looking out the window, you have another problem here as well.

I suppose it's really neither here nor there but I thought I'd bring it up.

TIS

 

[TIS]

Captain wants you to fly an airplane that is slightly over weight limits. What do you do?

Very similar to the captain who descended below minimums. We have an illegal operation, both of your certificates are on the line.

This question is tough but not because both pilots’ certificates are on the line. In fact, although the FAA may interview the SIC in their investigation of a deviation, the fact is that the PIC will be the focus of their inquiries until he gives them reason to look elsewhere. The PIC is, after all, the final authority as to the operation of the aircraft.

If you read case law (and it’s easy to find on the internet) what you ‘ll see is that in cases where flight crews are involved, the SIC is almost never drawn into it – at least not at the violation level. He might get a warning letter but a violation carrying sanctions is pretty rare.

The standard that the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) will be looking at is whether the PIC reasonably relied upon the SIC. If it is found that the PIC acted accordingly, for example, in asking the SIC to check out his window before making a right turn onto an intersecting taxiway, and that what the SIC erroneously told him caused say, a collision between two aircraft, then it might be found that the SIC was the cause of the accident and not the PIC.

On the other hand, if the PIC does not hear a radio call and asks the SIC’s opinion of what was said, that is not reasonable reliance. The radio is right there and clarification could be obtained without reliance upon a possibly faulty memory in the right seat.

So, in this case, even though the SIC might well be delegated the task of preparing the weight and balance, he is not responsible for it or its correctness. The PIC is and that’s where the investigation will start.

Now, having said all that, I will also say that this question is like all other judgment/situational questions in that there is not enough information in the form of the question to answer it. In this case it might be good to begin by double checking the manifest for math errors that have created the problem. When none can be found it would also be worth asking if there is an applicable “asked weight” program that might solve the problem by getting around standard assumed weights. You’ll be shut down when you ask but at least they’ll know you’re thinking along the right problem solving lines.

The bottom line with questions where intentional violation of a regulation is the net result is that you must respectfully object to the conduct of the operation and decline to participate in it no matter how hard you’re pushed. It would be unwise to volunteer in any interview setting that you have a willingness to go along with the poor and in this case, illegal, judgment of the other pilot just because he’s the captain.

TIS

 

[91100 100 set]

contract violation...

Simple answer. "I'm sorry, but I cannot accept that assignment because it is a violation of the labor agreement...". That has worked the only two times I've ever been in that situation and both times it was with a fairly new scheduler.

I've been fortunate enough to have never heard "do it now, grieve it later", but I think if I ever did, I would become very defensive and ask to speak to every supervisor in the whole company. I know there are some very unethical managment types out there, I've just been fortunate enough to not encounter many of them yet.

 

[jobear]

Now you know how I picked up the moniker Caveman.
Bring your alligator skin to work and check your emotions at the jetway. If I'm doing something wrong or inappropriate call me on it immediately but give me the benefit of the doubt that I was simply mistaken or incorrectly assessed the situation.

Having flown with Captain Caveman I can attest to the gator skin and emotions, but then again it was in a smaller airplane and he could easliy clobber me for screwing up .
http://www.afunk.com/other/captaincaveman/index1.html
See in a couple months Cavey

Jobear

 

[Treme]

TIS,

Are you a lawyer?

 

[Balou]

Hey TIS - Glad your back! where have you been ? l allways enjoy your posts .
Balou

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Here's a Doozy Evidently

Question: If you could live forever, would you and why?

Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever,"


--Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest.