Apology

[PilotOnTheRise]

I want to make a public apology for my post in the Comair Crash thread. I used the wrong word, when I chose to use "negligence". It was inappropriate.

Secondly, I want to say that most of my views in that post were meant from the passengers/publics perspective. They were comments, as a NWA CSA, I've heard passengers making.

It is not in my view that pilots do not deserve raises, but in the publics eye, right now, I was simply saying the argument would probably not stand up. The public is viewing this as the pilot's faults.

I am not an experienced pilot. I don't know what happened in the cockpit of that Comair flight. But I do think we can all agree those pilots did everything they could. It was a mistake waiting to happen at that airport.

Please accept my apology, and my prayers are with Comair, AirTran, the families of those lost, and the surviving FO.

 

[acaTerry]

Whether it stands up or not, the pay is definitely an issue that affects safety. Pilots who have to live on below-poverty level pay, and work till they are zombies will be of deteriorated mental states. Even in ideal circumstances there are things going on in a regional pilots head that are not flight related. Don't pull out the "a professional will block it out" argument. There is simply no excuse that they have to live like they do...all for some tightwads desire to save $3 on a ticket.
The airline passengers haven't the mental ability to grasp all the issues and consequences of a situation like this. And it is a grisly reminder to all you kids out there who brag about how "easy" the job is. Pull your heads out of your rear end and THINK about your job's consequences more seriously.

From the soapbox,

Terry

 

[PilotOnTheRise]

Whether it stands up or not, the pay is definitely an issue that affects safety. Pilots who have to live on below-poverty level pay, and work till they are zombies will be of deteriorated mental states. Even in ideal circumstances there are things going on in a regional pilots head that are not flight related. Don't pull out the "a professional will block it out" argument. There is simply no excuse that they have to live like they do...all for some tightwads desire to save $3 on a ticket.
The airline passengers haven't the mental ability to grasp all the issues and consequences of a situation like this. And it is a grisly reminder to all you kids out there who brag about how "easy" the job is. Pull your heads out of your rear end and THINK about your job's consequences more seriously.

From the soapbox,

Terry

You are right. Stress effects us in ways that may not even be apparent. Top that off with possible lack of sleep, and a bit of a confusing airport, and this mistake was bound to happen one day.

I once heard the idea that (something like this) $1 from the ticket price of each passenger on a flight should be given to the FO, and $2 to the captain (again, something similiar to this). Assuming an average of 40 people per flight on a CRJ, and lets assume a pilot flies 500 flights per year (am I even close), that would be roughly $20,000 per year for the FO, on top of his/her regular pay. Of course, the larger the aircraft you fly, the more money you make from this.

 

[biggerguy]

I love the $1.00 / $2.00 idea, but I just don't think Mesa, Skywest, or even the likes of a Gojetter would like it. I think they would disagree with "more money for more seats"!

 

[tuna pimp]

The public is viewing this as the pilot's faults.

I am not an experienced pilot. I don't know what happened in the cockpit of that Comair flight. But I do think we can all agree those pilots did everything they could. It was a mistake waiting to happen at that airport.

If what is being reported is accurate then this Comair captain for whatever reason taxied out onto an unsuitable, dark and unlit runway for which he was not cleared for departure, pushed the throttle forward and attemped to take off.

How exactly did this flight crew do everything they could to provide fully due care and concern to the aircraft and the souls on board?

If the facts reported so far are correct who's fault should the public be viewing this accident as?

Just curious.

 

[XPOO]

Dude, just face it, no other pilot on this board wants to admit, until the NTSB officially reports it, that this was all pilot error. Plain and simple, was not paying attention. If you'll notice, it has become apparant to the members of this board that we need to give crews more then 28 hours of rest between duty days now and that we need to pay them more so they'll remember to bug their heading, and look for runway lighting in pre-dawn stormy conditions, and read the signage. No need to apologize. An opinion is an opinion.

 

[acaTerry]

Dude, just face it, no other pilot on this board wants to admit, until the NTSB officially reports it, that this was all pilot error. Plain and simple, was not paying attention. If you'll notice, it has become apparant to the members of this board that we need to give crews more then 28 hours of rest between duty days now and that we need to pay them more so they'll remember to bug their heading, and look for runway lighting in pre-dawn stormy conditions, and read the signage. No need to apologize. An opinion is an opinion.

Nobody is arguing the pilot error. What we ARE saying is that there are factors that deteriorate a pilots state of mind to the point that these kind of things are going to happen when a fresh, clear mind would have been able to focus better.
Your accusations and self righteous remarks point out that you are either not a professional pilot with any level of experience, or that despite being a pilot you have SO MUCH more growing up to do. Let's all hope you are not the next one to have an accident and have bigmouths pi$$ing on your grave.

Nobody I have seen said 28 hrs of rest...(FROM ANOTHER POST:They weren't necessarily flying a trip from the bid packet. The CA was on reserve. The FO and FA were displaced lineholders, translation: reserves, on a totally different trip than the original.)...but 8 hours from gate to gate?! Come on, you can't believe that is reasonable. The average US citizen has 15 hours from punch in to punch out AND has a scheduled 1 hour lunch. Most regional pilots only dream of 15 hours, much less a mandatory luch break. Running to McDonalds on a 20 minute turn is NOT a lunch break.

I will repeat myself, nobody denies the bottom line of pilot error. But what kind of an ignorant fool are you to say that the FAA and NTSB are justified in the current rest rules? And as for the travelling public, if they want such high safety, they need to pay for it.

 

[scangadah]

Dude, just face it, no other pilot on this board wants to admit, until the NTSB officially reports it, that this was all pilot error. Plain and simple, was not paying attention. If you'll notice, it has become apparant to the members of this board that we need to give crews more then 28 hours of rest between duty days now and that we need to pay them more so they'll remember to bug their heading, and look for runway lighting in pre-dawn stormy conditions, and read the signage. No need to apologize. An opinion is an opinion.

Hey XOPOO, when did you last "fly the line"?

 

[acaTerry]

Hey XOPOO, when did you last "fly the line"?

I bet he hasn't. Maybe he's in the traing dept of his "737" job.

 

[atlcrashpad]

XPOO,

Just made my ignore list. Flame starter.