Have you ever had a captain (or FO) that makes up his own procedures?

[Donsa320]

Once upon a time we had a senior captain who was the terror of the F/O's. He disliked the company procedures to the point that he would bring his own checklits along on trips for his hapless F/O's to use. Said captain had been a check pilot but had been removed from that status by the company because of his non-standard procedures.

One dark night at DTW this captain attempted a no-flap, no-slat take-off. No after-start or before-take-off checklists had been called for or accomplished. The Central Aural Warning System (CAWS) circuit breaker was open or pulled. This captain took 150 some odd people under a bridge on Interstate 94, inverted. One young girl survived.

DC

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

On August 16, 1987, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 255,[38] bound for Phoenix, Arizona, and Santa Ana, California, crashed on take-off from Metro's 8,500-foot (2,600 m)-long Runway 3 Center (Now Runway 3L). All but one passenger on the aircraft were killed; the lone survivor was a young girl, Cecelia Cichan, who lost both of her parents and her brother. The NTSB determined that the accident resulted from flight crew's failure to deploy the aircraft's flaps prior to take-off, resulting in a lack of necessary lift. The aircraft slammed into an overpass bridge on Interstate 94 just northeast of the departure end of the runway.

 

[Donsa320]

On August 16, 1987, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 255,[38] bound for Phoenix, Arizona, and Santa Ana, California, crashed on take-off from Metro's 8,500-foot (2,600 m)-long Runway 3 Center (Now Runway 3L). All but one passenger on the aircraft were killed; the lone survivor was a young girl, Cecelia Cichan, who lost both of her parents and her brother. The NTSB determined that the accident resulted from flight crew's failure to deploy the aircraft's flaps prior to take-off, resulting in a lack of necessary lift. The aircraft slammed into an overpass bridge on Interstate 94 just northeast of the departure end of the runway.

As Paul Harvey might say, now you know the rest of the story.

DC

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

As Paul Harvey might say, now you know the rest of the story.

DC

Actually I like to know more about the CA's attitude.

Any links?

Interesting that many will put ego before people's lives, even their own...

And in aviation organizations, how the leadership and management will over look such attitudes....

 

[Donsa320]

Actually I like to know more about the CA's attitude.

Any links?

Interesting that many will put ego before people's lives, even their own...

And in aviation organizations, how the leadership and management will over look such attitudes....

I guess I'm the link, I was there. He was a commuter, make that a very unhappy commuter, from PHX. Norhwest had just sold our 757's and said captain was bumped back to the MD-80. Lived in a crappy crash-pad hotel while in DTW, PO'd about the mergers (Republic-Air West and then NorthWest) and his schedule, PO'd because PHX had been closed as a crew base, PO'd in general. Miserable to talk to even if he was just signing his flight release.

DC

 

[NEDude]

Supposedly the recent DC-9 taxiing into the Airbus due to loss of brakes was due to a Captain making up his own procedures. Now there is an FO who has to live the rest of his life on O2 due to lung damage.

Source - A retired NWA management pilot.

 

[JoeMerchant]

Do I ever speed?...Yes...But would I speed knowing there's a cop following right behind me ready to bust me? No...Not following the rules when you know there's a fed on the jumpseat watching to make sure that you are following the rules is retarded...If you get in trouble for it, then you deserve it...

...I agree...that is my point...Everyone of the "follow the rules" group pick and choose....Do they follow the rules on the road?

More people would follow the rules if we limited them to the essential stuff...instead of overreacting everytime there is an accident and inacting yet another "procedure"....Common sense and experience go a long way.....Two things that are becoming extinct....

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

...I agree...that is my point...Everyone of the "follow the rules" group pick and choose....Do they follow the rules on the road?

More people would follow the rules if we limited them to the essential stuff...instead of overreacting everytime there is an accident and inacting yet another "procedure"....Common sense and experience go a long way.....Two things that are becoming extinct....

Don't forget lawsuits.... always in play when common sense and exp don't yeild desired results..

 

[30West]

Now I am pretty new I admit, but as far as I have ever known or read while you are in bottom governing it doesn't matter where you have it in the Min-Max range, it will still be the same result.

That is correct. Blade angle is controlled by the power levers in this scenario.
Most likely lack of understanding of systems on the captain's part would be the obvious explanation.

While the worst thing that could happen in this case would be an embarrassing aborted takeoff due to config warning, it shows a general disregard for procedure.

In my experience, most small procedural deviations that happen daily do not in and of themselves create hazardous situations.
What is dangerous is that over time it will breed a casual attitude that eventually permeates all aspects of the job and ultimately results in catastrophe that the original procedure was designed to prevent.

It always amazes me when administering PC checks how some guys will actually spend more time and energy coming up with their own modified procedures than simply using the ones that they already know.

 

[NCherches]

What would happen??? The same as if both pilots were up there. He would done his mask and select 100 percent....he just wouldn't have to establish crew communication. That is the dumbest rule I have ever heard of....I pull it out and put it on my lap.

I hear it now....The mask, I pull the mask out and put it on my lap.

I think id rather die than put a mask on my face that has been in a bunch of FO's "lap" area.