Mechanic DISABLES 737 on pushback!

[ClassG]

First time I've seen this:

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%7E53%7E1086941,00.html

 

[FastCargo]

Hmmm...

Maybe they should have had that mechanic take a breathlizer!

Fly Safe!

FastCargo

 

[FL717]

Whats the proper hand signal for "wheel chocks into the intake"?

 

[ShawnC]

Whats the proper hand signal for "wheel chocks into the intake"?

According to the AIM it's flashing the bird on both hands.

 

[jergar999]

I wonder if they could prosecute this guy for endangering the pax; if a turbine blade separated and wasn't contained, that could get interesting. Maybe I'm just paranoid.

 

[Orvilleflyer]

Interesting that no one has tried to look at it from the mechanic's point of view. Here's my take, for what it's worth. He was tired of the mulitple flagrant BS overlooks of critical safety related issues, including this one. We've all seen it once in a while, maybe more, if you've been in the flightdeck long enough and no matter what airline you're at, right? Funny that a nav light was out but they said the plane had been fixed of it's strike damage and was signed off, ready to go... I think this guy had it. Plain and simple. Calling the feds forever blacklists you among your peers. But throwing a chock into the engine it like saying, "I've had it! F@#K it! I'm done!" It's was easier, less painless and less of a hole to dig at the time then rating on his peers must have seemed to him.
I feel sorry for this guy. ...And I'm not flying Frontier again. Who ever thought Alaska had bad maintenance either until the already wornout jackscrew finally went. I wonder how those mechanics live with themselves. There's no excuse for this crap, but it goes on everywhere and here's a guy that finally snapped.

 

[DC9stick]

And I'm not flying Frontier again. Who ever thought Alaska had bad maintenance either until the already wornout jackscrew finally went. I wonder how those mechanics live with themselves. There's no excuse for this crap, but it goes on everywhere and here's a guy that finally snapped.

Orvilleflyer, Better stay off all the cost cutting money losing airlines out there!

Lightning strikes seldom cause significant damage and the light bulb could have burned out between TPA and DEN, they burn almost 24/7 and burn out on a regular basis, I believe that's why there are two at each position.

 

[Orvilleflyer]

Screw it.... I had a responce but it's not worth it.

 

[FastCargo]

Another .02 (cents that is...not BAC)

From what I have seen in the civilian and military worlds, there is always going to be a conflict between MX and PIC if there is a questionable (ie fuzzy) MX problem. Also, invariably, it was usually the PIC that would be more conservative than MX would (after all, it's his butt in the A/C)!

I wouldn't have been surprised if there was an Min Equipment List entry for a burned out nav light that would allow it to fly. That's what MELs are for after all. You can make all the arguments about 'safety first'...but if we REALLY wanted safety first, we wouldn't fly! Everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) has different tolerances to what is considered unsafe.

And it makes me chuckle to think that someone actually thought that throwing a chock into an engine was 'less painful, easier, and less of a hole to dig' than 'ratting' on his peers. Lets say its true he was saying '#$@ it!'...well, he's just highlighted the hell out of himself, and if he then says in his defense that MX was screwed up for X,X, and X reasons, isn't that still 'ratting'? Won't he STILL get blacklisted? And will anyone hire him again after that? I think a simple MX entry in the aircraft forms would have been a much better way to get his point across.

There is more to the story I'm sure.

Fly Safe!

FastCargo