Flight Options Accident?

[Safetycheck]

What next?

Are there any Flight Options pilots out there who can elaborate on what happened to the Pilots on the accident flight?

Were they disciplined? Fired? Re-assigned?

How has the company changed after the accident? Has the training program been upgraded or changed?

My observation is that Flight Options pilots have disappeared from this board...perhaps a company requirement (or suggestion)after the accident.

-Safetycheck.

 

[SheGaveMeClap]

A company requirement to get off this board? Come on......

 

[NJA Capt]

A company requirement to get off this board? Come on......

Actually, Yes.

This weeks FLOPS message from Ken Ricci said they were sending out "confidentiality" agreements to all employees to stop talking about Flight Options on public message boards. He also stated that he still doesn't want a union at FLOPS and that HE is the best union steward they have.

I guess we now know why the Options message board was shut down.


Any of you Flight Options chaps able to speak on the issue?

 

[FracPilot]

Any of you Flight Options chaps able to speak on the issue?

We must be the center of attention if EJA pilots are listening to Kenn's weekly announcements. Yes, there is a confidentiality policy here, as there is at every other company I know of. That policy basically states that employees are not to share private company information with individuals outside the company. That's all. Simple, isn't it?

The problem is that there are a few ex RTA pilots that are very angry, bitter individuals that are badmouthing the company over every little thing they don't like - and doing it in a very public manner. There are a couple that claim to be former RTA pilots, now FO, LLC pilots, that really should be fired due to their attitude alone. No company would put up with their BS. I am not referring to the Union pushers, but just the people that have a "screw the company" attitude.

Now don't concern yourself with the happenings at FO, LLC - go back to your own little world where everything is perfect. What happens here is none of your concern, so why are you so worried about it? Just looking for any reason to badmouth the competition?

 

[WileE]

Jetz is right.

This incident reflets 100% on the Fractional Industry. Just like every time an airliner runs off the runway or crashes it reflects on the airline industry. Just like every time a GA pilot runs out of fuel and crashes it reflects on the GA industry.

Nothing pointed out here is unique to how business is done at the fractionals or anywhere else. What seems to have contributed to this accident is common traits of all pilots: Get-there-itis, the tendency to be distracted by gadgetry in the cockpit, overconfidence in one's own ability, complencency, etc.. Trying to point to this accident as an indication of the overall safety of FO, or of 3000 hour captains is just plain stupid. Everyone needs to look at themselves as a pilot and constantly remind themselves how they could end up in the same situation. Everyone has done something that they look back on as stupid and recognize that they were lucky to get away without dinging the aircraft, the good pilots recognize those incidents and learn from them whether they are captains on a 152 or a 747.

 

[NJA Capt]

We must be the center of attention if EJA pilots are listening to Kenn's weekly announcements.

Just looking for any reason to badmouth the competition?

Thank you for a very professional and well thought out response. It was not my intent to bad mouth anyone, nor am I worried about anything. I merely pointed to a possible reason there have not been many responses from FL OPS pilots lately.

We are not your enemy, you are not our enemy, and this is not a war. I don't seek to find confidential FL OPS information, and do not wish to have it. I do however, like to point out facts when misinformation is spread about us. Much the same as you do for FL OPS.

Good luck,
PS...No EJA pilots here, only NETJETS

 

[Safetycheck]

Article in AIN, June 2002

AIN News Briefs, June 2002

FRAX OPS HAVE PROPENSITY FOR RUNWAY OVERRUNS

Of the few accidents that have ocurred to a fractional aircraft (none of them fatal), runway overruns are the most common. There were three such events since February (none resulting in serious injuries), including one in which a NetJets Citation 560 was destroyed in the overrun crash and subsequent fire May 2 at Real County Airport in Leakey, Texas. This was the first fractional jet totally destroyed in an accident. The other two recent overrun accidents involved Flight Options aircraft: a Mitsubishi Diamond on February 10 at the company's home field (Cleveland Cuyahoga) in IMC and light snow (with only crew aboard); and a Beechjet 400A in VMC conditions on May 1 at Baltimore Washington International Airport (four passengers and two crew). Both Flight Options airplanes were substantially damaged.

________________________________________________

This is not good press...

Are they correct in making this leap to say that all frax operations are susceptible to overruns?

Clearly, they have done a good job in only stating the facts. It is the inference that frax have a "propensity" for overruns that is bothersome.

 

[Eagle]

Re: Chill!!!

I can't stand people who jab at companies post accident, incident, whatever - especially if they work for the competition. You are crapping on people who otherwise may have been your best friends if you worked with them.

A few things come to mind here.

1. The Jet community (biz/frac/135) is VERY small. Keeping in mind that everyone of us has f'd up more than once, makes the back biting even more juvenile than it need to be.

2. there is little doubt that people who are willing to blast away at other pilots who have had accidents/incidents would be the first one to say YES PLEASE if offered a job by the company. Easy to sit back and say Hell no ..when you have a job, your company cans you, furloughs you or the like, you bet you would be first in line.

 

[SheGaveMeClap]

Safetycheck,

Sorry for the delayed response, but I was on my tour. FYI, yes, I am with Flight Options. In Kenn's weekly message, he might have meant talking on public bulletin boards such as the Flight Options Bit*ch board, not this one. As has been mentioned in previous threads, that board is the very small minority (probably of former RTA pilots) who aren't happy with the way things are going over at FO and they complain about it on the website. Kenn is handling it his own way, and we are dealing with it in our's. As was previously mentioned, go back to your own little hole in the world where everything is perfect. Don't come into our not-so-perfect world and start bashing on Options. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. We have a great pilot group. I'm flying with Options pilots, as well as former RTA pilots, and everyone is fantastic. On the road, we all get along well and and continue to make this a great company. Mind your own business and we'll mind our's.

Regards,
Clap

 

[Safetycheck]

Everyone is fantastic

Thats wonderful to hear, Clap. Glad you are happy in your King Air position with Flight Options.

So, everyone is happy there? Even the Jet captains who were downgraded and those who were bumped from the jets into the King Air?

I have spoken to several of your pilots on the road and it seems that since Ricci came out with his directive, pilots have been more muted with their responses.

Let me ask you...what do you like flying better...the EMB or the King Air? How long will it take for you to upgrade? How are the customers taking the merger?

-I dont come from a perfect world. That is why I am hanging out over here in this one. I enjoy learning about this fractional revolution, as I'm sure all the prospective pilots that come in here to decide what to do with their careers are doing as well.

This IS my business.

I have a hard time understanding why you are so COMBATIVE, Clap. Not a good personality trait for a pilot.