Pinnacle Pilots: "Just wanted to have fun"

[lowecur]

Too much altitude for the RJ at 410.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050613/ap_on_re_us/plane_crash_investigation

 

[COOPERVANE]

I just read the Pinnacle CVR transcript

That transcript makes me feel sick!

I've read many before, but when you read one from the type of aircraft you are currently flying, it's different.

I feel bad for those guys and their families. Makes you realize how unforgiving and fragile these airplanes can be if not flown seriously and proffesionally

 

[Carl_Spackler]

Just wait, I'm sure the full transcript will make you feel worse.

 

[OPECJet]

Who the he!! does this Stempler guy think he is?

 

[Inconceivable]

Mouthpiece for the airlines lobby. Sad thing is he seems to be correct.

 

[BID]

Stempler is a jerk that wants to isolate the event and not bring attention to the regional airline industry. Rare are the times I advocate violence, but this guy deserves a good smacking. Instead of asking what kind of training these pilots received and who did the training?, he is calling them reckless. His comments are what is reckless.

I too like to have fun, when in the mood I fly 250 knots to the marker, try to make a certain intersection, etc. Would you call me reckless? The flight crew was trying to fly to FL 410. Is that not the certified altitude of the aircraft, what is so reckless about that? IMHO, the decision to fly to FL410 was not reckless. Unfortunately, for whatever reason the crew failed to note the airplane was not going to fly at FL410, Why? I do not know. I can't judge these guys I was not there. But Stempler, he has already judged and tried them and they are guilty of "recklessnes" that jerk off.

 

[PCL_128]

The flight crew was trying to fly to FL 410. Is that not the certified altitude of the aircraft, what is so reckless about that? IMHO, the decision to fly to FL410 was not reckless.

This comment is coming from lots of experienced people, and it's really starting to scare me. You do realize that the plane isn't required to maintain max operating altitude under every weight and temperature condition for certification don't you? The airplane is perfectly capable of maintaining FL410 when it's light and cold, but when the OAT is ISA+10 it's just not going to do it. You have to check performance charts to make sure. These guys didn't do that. That is what's reckless. If they would have checked their charts they would have found that FL410 is a couple thousand too high for their weight and temperature combination. They didn't, and they lost their lives as a result. Now, we can blame Pinnacle management and Pinnacle's training program all we want, but in the end the pilots are responsible for knowing what's in the FCOM and following it.

 

[exchexflyer]

This comment is coming from lots of experienced people, and it's really starting to scare me. You do realize that the plane isn't required to maintain max operating altitude under every weight and temperature condition for certification don't you? The airplane is perfectly capable of maintaining FL410 when it's light and cold, but when the OAT is ISA+10 it's just not going to do it. You have to check performance charts to make sure. These guys didn't do that. That is what's reckless. If they would have checked their charts they would have found that FL410 is a couple thousand too high for their weight and temperature combination. They didn't, and they lost their lives as a result. Now, we can blame Pinnacle management and Pinnacle's training program all we want, but in the end the pilots are responsible for knowing what's in the FCOM and following it.

Just to add a little more to this, I thought one of the most important things here is the airspeed at which they got to 410. Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought I read minimum climb profile is 250/.70 which ever is less. I thought I read that during the climb they got as slow as .57. I'm just trying to get facts out so everyone can learn from this. All you Monday night quarterbacks don't post here.

 

[exchexflyer]

Sorry, I just saw that the 250/.70 was established after the accident.

 

[Inconceivable]

No, it was in the manuals in the form of the climb charts from day one.

It was only after the accident that a bulletin came out that said "Children! We know you don't read those books you carry around with you. So do this. And stop doing that. Fly safe."