EAP
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2002
- Posts
- 141
When I was finally hired by a major airline in '98 I had to go through this rite of passage question too. I said I'd clearly follow SOP and state missed approach, then when no response, I'd say the captain's name and tell him to go missed, then I'd tap his arm (tactile communication) and tell him again, while using the "3 strikes your out" idea that he may be incapacitated. While transmitting over the radio I was going missed approach, I'd advance the throttles in a controlled way and hit TOGA, raising the nose for the missed also.
They seemed to like the answer, all in the room nodded their heads and one guy asked what I'd do when the Capt. went ape doodo and said "you're screwed buddy, you'll never fly another trip!" Then it's time to diffuse the situation, get him involved with planning the rest of the missed approach to a safe landing. Then when opn the ground, explain your situation and be ready to back it up. I then mentioned I'd have absolutely no problem defending my position in a hearing, and that the passenger's lives are all counting on the right thing to be done. If my career was going to be jeopardized, I could live with that in the short term knowing if the right thing was done, lives would be saved, and the airline would be kept out of ruin. In the long run I knew I'd be the one retiring at age 60 when the truth came out. They all liked that too, and I guess when I made it into the next groundschool I figured I'd answered it right!
They seemed to like the answer, all in the room nodded their heads and one guy asked what I'd do when the Capt. went ape doodo and said "you're screwed buddy, you'll never fly another trip!" Then it's time to diffuse the situation, get him involved with planning the rest of the missed approach to a safe landing. Then when opn the ground, explain your situation and be ready to back it up. I then mentioned I'd have absolutely no problem defending my position in a hearing, and that the passenger's lives are all counting on the right thing to be done. If my career was going to be jeopardized, I could live with that in the short term knowing if the right thing was done, lives would be saved, and the airline would be kept out of ruin. In the long run I knew I'd be the one retiring at age 60 when the truth came out. They all liked that too, and I guess when I made it into the next groundschool I figured I'd answered it right!
