Classic AWA interview questions....

[The5th]

Here's a couple:

1)Shortly after takeoff out of PHX the door light comes on. The checklist says to continue on but the Captain wants to return and land overweight. What do you do?

2)You notice the Captain smells like alcohol one hr. prior to departure.


Does AWA's "employee manual" mention anything about what to do if alcohol abuse is suspected in such cases? I also hear about a "professional standards commitee". What exactly is that?
What will be some reasonable responses?
Thanks

 

[TWA Dude]

First, as far as answering the question in the interview you're not required to know what the company policies are. You just need to know that your job is to ensure the flight doesn't operate if you're not 100% satisfied the crew is legal. One way to answer the question if the captain's response doesn't assuage you is call your superior, ie, a chief pilot on call, and tell him you suspect the captain isn't legal and thus you've taken the burden off yourself.

Pro Standards is a union committee that is a primary go-to when you have a problem with another pilot. They work to resolve conflicts by counseling and educating (re-educating) pilots who aren't following procedures. In other words, if you witness another pilot doing something you feel is dumb or unsafe instead of tattling on them to Management you inform Pro Standards and that usually takes care of it.

 

[Wasted]

The standard answer would be to talk him into calling in sick. If he refuses, call Professional Standards. If they don't convince him to not fly today, call the chief pilot.

If the captain wants to land overweight, let him. No sense trying to talk him into going four hours somewhere with a light he's not comfortable with. If the company has a problem with it, they can talk to him. You raised your point about what the checklist says, his course of action is not unduly unsafe, you've done your part as FO.

 

[minty fresh]

One way to answer the question if the captain's response doesn't assuage you is call your superior, ie, a chief pilot on call, and tell him you suspect the captain isn't legal and thus you've taken the burden off yourself................

In other words, if you witness another pilot doing something you feel is dumb or unsafe instead of tattling on them to Management you inform Pro Standards and that usually takes care of it.

Calling the chief pilot prior to calling Professional Standards is pretty much tattling to management.

 

[reepicheep]

Don't sweat the overweight landing, any of the 3 types AW flies can be landed at max. takeoff weight with nothing more than an overweight landing inspection from mtc. which is not that big of a deal. You don't want to try to talk a crewmember into doing something they're not comfortable with.

 

[Ty Webb]

Calling the chief pilot prior to calling Professional Standards is pretty much tattling to management.

Agreed. Pull him aside, determine if it is truly alcohol, convince him to take himself off the trip, tell him either he takes himself off the trip, or you are going to take yourself off the trip, but make it clear the flight is not going to take place. Next choice would be Pro Standards. Going right to the CP would not be the first course of action.

 

[PositiveRate]

"...tell him either he takes himself off the trip, or you are going to take yourself off the trip..."

There are a bunch of ways to frame the alcohol scenario...most instances seem to be that the captain denies the allegations (i.e. does not want to call in sick, but does not necc want the hassle of breathalyzers and BAC tests), WWYD?

Prepare based on this type of scenario and there shouldn't be too many surprises. Be careful if you say you'd take yourself off the trip...this might open a series of followup questions.

 

[TWA Dude]

Easy, fellas, I didn't advocate going straight to the CP; I wrote that it's one way to answer the interview question. Of course it's the last resort for a desperate FO. Don't forget that there's a difference between the interview and the real world.

 

[Bus Babe]

Whatever you do come up with for the interview - just stick to your guns!

 

[English]

Hey Bus Babe...WELCOME!!!!


<hugs and kisses>

 

[Ty Webb]

"...tell him either he takes himself off the trip, or you are going to take yourself off the trip..."


I disagree with this. Why would I misrepresent my fitness for flight? I'm not sick and I'm not a drunk, so I'm never going to call in sick in a case like this. And why all the worrying about calling the CP?.........Chances are that someone who gets to this point has a problem and it isn't a one time deal. It's probably happened before and it'll probably happen again. Pro Standards and the CP need to be involved. .......... but it is my job to hold the line for safety and regulation.

I didn't say I was going to call in sick; I said I would give him a choice to either take himself off the trip, or I was going to take myself off of the trip- I didn't say how. Sometimes it's best not to show all of your cards . . . . or all of your buttocks, which leads me to my next point:

The purpose of that question is not really to see if you would just let him fly (duh!) it is to give you an opportunity to reveal more about yourself, and I would say that you, Positive Rate, would get yourself noticed with your response, and it may not be in the way that you intended.

 

[PositiveRate]

Fair enough. You didn't say you'd call in sick and I should have had my morning coffee before going off on a righteous rant.

 

[Ty Webb]

One other thing:

I agree that anyone who shows up smelling of alcohol in this day and age has definitely got a problem and shouldn't just be "covered for".

I believe, though, that many EAP's only cover the employee if they ask for the help themselves. In other words, if you turn them in, they're toast; if they turn themself in, they may get help and get their job back . . . It depends on the company, though.

Just one more reason to get them to do it themselves . . . .