Question about the "Capt. wants to descend below mins" interview question

[siucavflight]

I would not even select the TOGA buttons, if he is the PF then you should not be touching those buttons. Fighting over control at all that low to the ground can be deadly.

 

[QuasarZ]

I would not even select the TOGA buttons, if he is the PF then you should not be touching those buttons. Fighting over control at all that low to the ground can be deadly.

This is what I was leaning towards, but with a lot of people saying to take the controls I started to second guess my answer

 

[norskman2]

Having been in a cockpit twice where the other pilot has frozen up, never assume that they have control over the aircraft and that a normal landing will be the result.

T-Gates, what did you do?

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

I can't believe what I'm reading.

Don't grab the controls = I'm gonna watch this guy drive us into the dirt.

Call missed approach on the radio = I'm playing with the radio, (and watching this guy drive us into the dirt).

Don't suck up the gear = No $#!+, if you're not positive rate, don't pull up the shock absorbers.

On a CATIII, you can barely get one call in and you'll still likely skip off the runway (or taxiway, or dirt, or the top of that former plane).

Do your job and fly the plane. If he checked out, you take over. That's what the calls are there for. That's what you are there for.

 

[landlover]

to all the people that claim declaring a missed over the radio would cause said pilot to go around, what would you do at an uncontroled field?

 

[QuasarZ]

I can't believe what I'm reading.

Don't grab the controls = I'm gonna watch this guy drive us into the dirt.

Call missed approach on the radio = I'm playing with the radio, (and watching this guy drive us into the dirt).

Don't suck up the gear = No $#!+, if you're not positive rate, don't pull up the shock absorbers.

On a CATIII, you can barely get one call in and you'll still likely skip off the runway (or taxiway, or dirt, or the top of that former plane).

Do your job and fly the plane. If he checked out, you take over. That's what the calls are there for. That's what you are there for.

So you agree to the philosophy to wrestle for the controls 100-200ft above the runway? Do you think this is safer than the capt flying the glideslope down? There are so many people saying to take controls and so many saying not to... what is it?

 

[IdRtherBsailing]

No one wants to hear someone is going to fight over the controls at 200ft or less. Most FOM's, GOM's clearly state the FO will Offer his advice if he feels the A/C is being handled improperly. The capt may disregard as that is his command authority. Call the chief when you land. Chances are you will break out and land. I guess if you feel your going to die, go with your gut, but a power struggle is far more dangerous than landing below mins.

 

[Snapshot]

I'm with Crunk. I can't imagine an interviewer that wants to hear that you've identified a situation where the Captain may be incapacitated 15 seconds from turning the plane into a crater and you say you'd do nothing about it.
Every place I've ever worked, they trained this exact situation in the sim. If I had let the PF "land" it would've been a pink slip.

The answer to most any interview question: What is the safest course of action?

Good luck!

 

[QuasarZ]

I'm with Crunk. I can't imagine an interviewer that wants to hear that you've identified a situation where the Captain may be incapacitated 15 seconds from turning the plane into a crater and you say you'd do nothing about it.
Every place I've ever worked, they trained this exact situation in the sim. If I had let the PF "land" it would've been a pink slip.

The answer to most any interview question: What is the safest course of action?

Good luck!

So the safest course of action is you take control? I am stuck between both answers becasue there are a lot of people that say either one. I hope the interviewer won't take it this far, and will leave it when I say called missed.

 

[Snapshot]

Like I said, I've seen a lot of training programs and every single one trained to take the controls and go around.

If they are not responding to callouts, you have to assume they are incapacitated. Non responsive is the definition of incapacitation.

There is a reason there are two pilots instead of one.

Always go with what is the safest course of action. What you do if your family was in the back?
If you take the plane and go around, everybody lives, every time. If you allow the plane to hit the ground with nobody driving, everybody dies.

 

[WWEfan]

Its a crap shoot. One interviewer might want you to take the controls, the other might expect you to let the captain land. You got a 50/50 shot. Good luck.

 

[Papps]

Don't fight a captain for the controls. If he is slumped over and dead then assume control of the aircraft. If you say something to him and he is unresponsive then you can assume he's dead or sleeping. If you call minimums and he gives you a roger and ducks below mins don't get in a yoke wrestling match with him. You will be pulling and he will be pushing and one of you will eventually let go.

I had a brand new F/O with less then a thousand hours try and grab the controls on me, because he had never seen anyone kick out alot of crab in a big crosswind just before touching down.

In his last plane (c-172) you drop one wing 15 miles out on final to correct for a crosswind. But i didn't feel like dragging a wing across the runway.

He very nearly caused us some big problems about 10 feet from the ground. Don't wrestle for controls.

 

[NEDude]

There is no back and white answer to this. Too many variables.

If I am landing in a place like Kansas, where there are no mountains nearby, the captain has the GS and LCO pegged, and he responds that he is continuing when you call minimums, my response will be a lot different than if I am landing in a place surrounded my mountains, the GS and LOC are at 3/4 deflection and there is no response from the captain at the minimums call.

 

[inthegoo]

No Good Answer

 

[8HourPilot]

You sure you got your story right? You don't even have the airline right.

Do nothing and you wind up like the Chautauqua 170 crew that slid off the end of the runway at Cleveland.

If the Captain does not respond, you have no choice but to assume he is incapacitated in some way. You MUST take control of the aircraft and execute the missed.

If the Captain responds... and says he is intentionally going below minimums. Easiest way to force a go around without wrestling for the controls at 200 feet... lean over and suck up the gear.