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

[QuasarZ]

both answers have some grey area. Continuing to find runway is dangerous, and fighting for controls is too...

 

[Papps]

...and continuing an approach below minimums isn't??

you will find the runway if you continue below mins. You may find all sorts of things if you have 2 retards trying to fly 1 airplane.

 

[siucavflight]

...and continuing an approach below minimums isn't??

At that point it becomes which is more dangerous?

 

[norskman2]

both answers have some grey area. Continuing to find runway is dangerous, and fighting for controls is too...

Geez, finally a reasonable answer.

This is a "Kobayashi Maru" question. There is no right answer. That's why they ask it in the interview -- to see if you can a) think on your feet b) exercise sound judgement

Anybody out there a senior Captain who sits on an interview panel? Do you ding someone who says "fight for the controls" or do you give them a thumbs up if they advocate for it in a reasonable and intelligent manner?

If someone says "suck up the gear" do you heave them out of the interview room?

 

[Starscream]

you will find the runway if you continue below mins. You may find all sorts of things if you have 2 retards trying to fly 1 airplane.

Then why do minimums exist?

I'm surprised no one mentioned this scenario especially for the ones who advocate not initiating a go around, cause he'll just safely fly the glideslope down to the flare..............

WHAT IF THIS IS ON A NON-PRECISION APPROACH?

FO: MDA
CA: Rog, leaving MDA -- it's down here somewhere...........
FO: MDA, MISSED APPROACH!
CA: It's down here somewhere.............hey that looks like a flashing white light............

Y'all just gonna sit by and hope he doesn't pull a CFIT?

If you firewall the throttles, you're not fighting for control, and there is virtually no way he'll be able to continue descending, since he'll be trimmed for Vapp.

 

[QuasarZ]

Then why do minimums exist?

I'm surprised no one mentioned this scenario especially for the ones who advocate not initiating a go around, cause he'll just safely fly the glideslope down to the flare..............

WHAT IF THIS IS ON A NON-PRECISION APPROACH?

FO: MDA
CA: Rog, leaving MDA -- it's down here somewhere...........
FO: MDA, MISSED APPROACH!
CA: It's down here somewhere.............hey that looks like a flashing white light............

Y'all just gonna sit by and hope he doesn't pull a CFIT?

If you firewall the throttles, you're not fighting for control, and there is virtually no way he'll be able to continue descending, since he'll be trimmed for Vapp.

True, never thought about non precision. So you say firewall it and it and cause it to climb for a go around?

 

[Starscream]

True, never thought about non precision. So you say firewall it and it and cause it to climb for a go around?

When in doubt climb. No one ever crashed into the sky.

 

[Papps]

Then why do minimums exist?

I'm surprised no one mentioned this scenario especially for the ones who advocate not initiating a go around, cause he'll just safely fly the glideslope down to the flare..............

WHAT IF THIS IS ON A NON-PRECISION APPROACH?

FO: MDA
CA: Rog, leaving MDA -- it's down here somewhere...........
FO: MDA, MISSED APPROACH!
CA: It's down here somewhere.............hey that looks like a flashing white light............

Y'all just gonna sit by and hope he doesn't pull a CFIT?

If you firewall the throttles, you're not fighting for control, and there is virtually no way he'll be able to continue descending, since he'll be trimmed for Vapp.

or what if its in an NDB approach, or what if its a non precision approach without the local altimeter, or what if its a non-precision in terrain with an engine on fire, and the flight attendant just told you that she's pregnant after your overnight with her last month.

You can beat this question into the ground with a billion different senerios. My point is to avoid battling for control of a plane at less than 200 agl.

If you have super pilot skills that you got from the FSDO the day you got your CFI last year, then karate chop the captain in the neck and assume command of the flight. Tell you the truth I don't care what you do as long as your not flying with me.

I agree with you a guy flying a cat C or D airplane that leaves MDA with nothing in site is retarded and suicidal. You may want to say "go around" and if he dosent respond say "my controls". Thats something they call experience.

 

[Papps]

I love how this thread assumes all FOs are clueless thumb-suckers and all Capts are God's gift to aviation.

When you get beyond the scope of the mid-twenties Capt. and the fresh outa school FO, you might think something different.

How about an older Capt with a heart problem? How about you're finishing a red-eye and the Capt. is falling asleep?

I've seen some nice "I'm invincible" mentalities in some of these posts.

If you're the Capt., and you miss your calls, you screwed up. If the FO questions you, that is his job!

Actually the tone of this thread seems to assume that the captain is dead, dying, asleep, deliberately breaking FAR's or blissfully unaware that he has passed the missed. None of those place the captain in the gods gift to aviation category.

 

[Rook]

When in doubt climb. No one ever crashed into the sky.

Sage advice.

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

Actually the tone of this thread seems to assume that the captain is dead, dying, asleep, deliberately breaking FAR's or blissfully unaware that he has passed the missed. None of those place the captain in the gods gift to aviation category.

That was how I was looking at this thread, too, originally. And I think that that was the original question.

Then there were a few posts of, "If any of you FOmos touches my stuff, I'll kill ya!" i.e. let the Captain do whatever and write it up later.

But you're right, Papps, that's what this thread is really getting after.

 

[QuasarZ]

That was how I was looking at this thread, too, originally. And I think that that was the original question.

Then there were a few posts of, "If any of you FOmos touches my stuff, I'll kill ya!" i.e. let the Captain do whatever and write it up later.

But you're right, Papps, that's what this thread is really getting after.

I guess that was the general direction that my question was going. Not sure what condition the capt is in during this interview question. I would assume that the capt would be incapacitated and I would need to take over. No sain pilot would put everyone in danger to try and "find" the airport.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

After reading 100+ responses, I'm still unsure of one single best answer.

If I ever get asked this question in an interview, I'm just going to change the subject to BBQ.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

I am sure the interviewing company has more trust in thier captains then they do in the fresh kid wanna be sitting there in a nice blue suit... saying... "put me in coach, I am ready to play....just give me a shot...I'll do anything...."

The questions, as poor as it is to rate an applicant, is about the applicant..not the captain, the approach type or anything else you want it to be...

 

[Dodge4SRT]

I can't believe I just wasted my time reading this. I am wondering after reading the posts, minus the jokes (which were funny), why planes don't fall out of the sky more often. There were only a few people who actually wrote logical responses. Unbelievable.