Pinnacle Pilots: "Just wanted to have fun"

[Rogue5]

One of my coworkers said it best: hopefully this will cause enough of a shakeup to get the company to implement a REAL training program, hire QUALIFIED individuals by paying enough to attract them, and hopefully this loss of life will educate enough people to one day prevent another such tragedy with even greater loss of life.

Looks like they've already begun:

JOB INFORMATION
COMPANY: Pinnacle Airlines DATE: May 27, 2005
POSITION: CRJ Lead Instructor

DESCRIPTION: Works under the direction and supervision of the CRJ Program
Manager. Oversees standardization of instructors, check airmen
and the training process. Acts as coordinator of training issues
between ground instructors, flight/sim instructors and check
airmen. Serves as principal guide to flight crew instructional
staff in curriculum, module and lesson plan development. Assists
the CS, Inflight and MX program managers in development of
operational procedures and training procedures. Maintains high
level of knowledge in Company policy, FOM, FOTM, FAR’s, Ops
Specs, CRJ Aircraft Flight Manuals. Participates in
review/revision of FCOMs, FOTM and other related manuals. Assists
in courseware and flight crew training program development
including FAA acceptance or approval. Coordinates with CRJ
Program Manager in the selection of instructors and check airmen.
Assists with instructor payroll activities. Liaisons with
Maintenance to monitor maintenance issues and assists CRJ Program
Manager with implementation of changes to pilot training as
necessary to improve safety and reliability. Provides leadership
and guidance to both ground and simulator instructors. Monitors
scheduling of simulators, instructors, check airmen and students
to maximize utilization. Participates in internal audit program
as required. Minimum Requirements: Four-year college degree or
equivalent work experience. Two years of airline operations
experience. Airline Transport Pilot certificate and type rating
CRJ aircraft. Excellent leadership, interpersonal, and
organizational skills. Superior knowledge of Company policies,
procedures, and standards. Intermediate typing skills and
knowledge of Word, Excel and PowerPoint software Some repetitive
motion such as typing. Position requires some physical exertion
such as pulling, pushing, reaching, bending, standing, walking
and light lifting of boxes, bags and training equipment not in
excess of 30 lbs. Can involve long periods of sitting and
standing. Office work for the majority of time. Occasional
airport operations activities in all types of weather. Airport
ramp operations are noisy and can be hazardous. Special
Requirements: Must be willing to work occasional evenings, and
weekends. Some travel required. Concurrent internal and external
recruitment.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Telephone: No phone calls
Fax: 1-901-348-4162 (click on the FAX number to instantly FAX your resume)
Email: Electronic applications accepted via ~I-Apply.
Mailing Address: Attn: Buddy Casaey
Pinnacle Airlines
1689 Nonconnah Blvd., Suite 111
Memphis, TN 38132-2102

Web: www.nwairlink.com

 

[Lear70]

Naahhh... that opening is because in the last 10 days we have lost EVERY SINGLE GROUND INSTRUCTOR except for one.

That means we have one ground instructor to teach all 50 new-hires this month AND conduct recurrent ground.

The instructors got pissed off and found other jobs, they weren't recalled back to where they came.

Don't look for positive change from within Pinnacle without Federal oversight (as in, "We'll shut you down if you don't clean up your act.")

 

[BID]

Just finished reading much of the information regarding this accident, WOW, what a true dissappointment. My definition of "fun" is a quite a bit different from what I have read here. That's too bad.

 

[Towelie]

Did he get his verbiage wrong because he was rattled and only move them to idle but said "shutoff"? During the initial briefing (very beginning of the hearing) the synopsis says they did the restart attempts but makes no mention that they were done incorrectly - something I believe would be important in the hearing.

Apparently he had difficulty with that very issue in training (saying one thing and doing another). God only knows how each one of us would react in this type of event, but I guess that is why it is so important to get it right in training. I'm not stirring the pot here... just pointing out a few facts.

From the Human Factors report:

• He further stated that when reading a checklist, Captain Rhodes would sometimes misstate the status of an item. Additionally, he would sometimes read a checklist item and action but not accomplish it or he would take action on the opposite airplane system instead of the system noted in the checklist.
  
  The simulator instructor said that he had seen those types of deficiencies during training with FO candidates but it was unusual to see them from a captain in upgrade training. His concerns regarding Captain Rhodes’ deficiencies manifested themselves during simulator session four and were validated in simulator session five. He said that he debriefed Captain Rhodes on both occasions. He said that the biggest weakness he saw in Captain Rhodes was critical decision-making and judgment; however, he flew the airplane just fine.
  

 

[Hung Start]

Ohhh, grand!!! That just is like saying a monkey can fly the plane fine,, just doesn't do well with decisions. Wonderful!!!

 

[FN FAL]

Too much altitude for the RJ at 410.

In space, no one can hear you scream.

 

[ataopsdave]

Naahhh... that opening is because in the last 10 days we have lost EVERY SINGLE GROUND INSTRUCTOR except for one.

That means we have one ground instructor to teach all 50 new-hires this month AND conduct recurrent ground.

The instructors got pissed off and found other jobs, they weren't recalled back to where they came.

Don't look for positive change from within Pinnacle without Federal oversight (as in, "We'll shut you down if you don't clean up your act.")

Lear70

That is not entirely true. We lost our Program manager because he went back to Delta. 2 of our ground instructors got promoted to sim instructors, 1 got another promotion and one other left to work for Flight Safety.

 

[SRMairlines]

7. The transcripts show that THE CREW DID THE DUAL ENGINE FLAMEOUT CHECKLIST IMMEDIATELY. THE CREW DID THE RELIGHT ATTEMPTS PROPERLY! That's right folks, they did just about everything by the numbers once they got in that position. .

Lear70, one of the major topics is that they didn't do the windmilling relight properly. To get 12% N2 rotation don't you need 300kts as per the QRH. They never made it past 235kias and never received any rotation. QRH never says to discontinue or alter relight if no N2 is received. Correct me if I am wrong after you hear more.

 

[Inconceivable]

Did anyone notice the Bomb folks saying that they are not memory items, but "immediate action" items--if the operator chooses to make them memory items, that is their business--but not recommended by Bomb's training?

I was told 5+ years ago that the verbatim memory cr@p requirement came from Pat M. when she was still the APOI.

Do other airlines have better wording of them, or is it the same stilted franco-canuck translations?

 

[Biatch5]

The training program at Pinnacle is indeed absolutely terrible. QUOTE]

Well with OUTSTANDING training from Gulfstream Academy, I bet you can change the training over at Pinnacle!