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

[FmrFreightDog]

You're on final and about to land at Burbank. What would you do at 50 feet when AA (or whoever) taxis onto the runway in front of you and you're at 50 feet? I don't know about you, but I'm going around

And the gear comes up AFTER a positive rate of climb has been established, not while still descending at 700 FPM. There's a big difference. I would love to know how the "Bring the gear up" answer goes over at your next interview.

 

[FR8mastr]

Norskman2, my company is not authorized to fly Cat II approaches, so I'm looking at this from a 200 ft, 1800 RVR perspective.

The original question was "the Captain wants to descent below minimums".
For the purpose of this question only, the interviewer says the Captain intentionally chooses to fly below minimums, thus ruling out the possibility that he/she could be incapacitated.
If the PF is at 200 ft (minimums) and nothing is in sight and he/she says "aw, f*** it" and keeps descending, and the PNF raises the landing gear, there is more than enough altitude execute a safe go around.
If a pilot is hesitant, unwilling, cannot execute a go around at minimums (200 ft) or in this case, just under 200 feet, then that pilot has no business flying.

You're on final and about to land at Burbank. What would you do at 50 feet when AA (or whoever) taxis onto the runway in front of you and you're at 50 feet? I don't know about you, but I'm going around

Its answers like this one that are the reasons we are asked questions like that in an interview.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

In both cases, don't do this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnrTq9Y-uJY

LMAO. Holy Shoot, that was a pretty funny video!

 

[Papps]

Many FNG F.O's right out of school think they are gods gift to aviation, and the captain has hidden his poor skills, padded his logbook, or fell through enough cracks to make it to the left seat. I have flown with many, many captains, and none of them have ever "frozen up" or needed me to "save the plane"

now that I am a captain I realize how annoying a 300 hour F.O is when he thinks his natural abilities outway the captains years of experience in the left seat. I just laugh when a green low time kid tells me about how he "saved an airplane" with the captain he was flying with last month... lol.

If the captain is really an airhead, you will know it on taxi out. Take that into consideration, but don't go grabbing at the controls 150' off the ground. In this senerio you will be lower than 200(minimums) you will be more like 150' or less. Call the missed.

 

[FmrFreightDog]

Many FNG F.O's right out of school think they are gods gift to aviation, and the captain has hidden his poor skills, padded his logbook, or fell through enough cracks to make it to the left seat. I have flown with many, many captains, and none of them have ever "frozen up" or needed me to "save the plane"

now that I am a captain I realize how annoying a 300 hour F.O is when he thinks his natural abilities outway the captains years of experience in the left seat. I just laugh when a green low time kid tells me about how he "saved an airplane" with the captain he was flying with last month... lol.

If the captain is really an airhead, you will know it on taxi out. Take that into consideration, but don't go grabbing at the controls 150' off the ground. In this senerio you will be lower than 200(minimums) you will be more like 150' or less. Call the missed.

Well said.

 

[s3jetman]

Have always had this question maybe I am missing something but consider the following.

20 in line for takeoff your on approach

you "tower airline xxxx going missed"

two seconds later

tower "airline yyyyy clear for takeoff"

now what happens just dont like the announcement of you performing something that you knowingly are not doing? just have the image of 2 747 colliding. I know it was something totally different but just makes me think!

 

[Papps]

now what happens just dont like the announcement of you performing something that you knowingly are not doing? just have the image of 2 747 colliding. I know it was something totally different but just makes me think!

Huh....?

 

[Axel]

Huh....?

All your base are belong to us.

I think he means that if the FO calls a missed approach, but the CA continues to descend for landing there is the potential for a collision on the runway. Then you would have no hope to survive, make your time.

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

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!

 

[FR8mastr]

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!

I had the completely opposite take from this thread. It seems to me the FO's are the only ones preventing disaster at every step. Your own post illustrates this. Remember this thread started from the interview question of the Capt. going below mins. Many of the answers came back with all sorts of wrong answers about taking over the aircraft below mins. The original question could be either pilot flying below mins. the answer is the same, if the aircraft is on profile DO NOT fight for control.
By the way, I am a FO, again.

 

[NoahWerka]

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

In real life that is true. In an interview?


Actual answer from an interviewee in a 4 Captain Board interview. He got hired on that answer alone. They said it showed maturity. That is what they are looking for.

In real life that is true, in the interview:
1...Do nothing... Assume he Fuccked Up.
2...Say something about it...."Don't let it happen again, next time I say something, it will be to the CP".
3...Go to the Chief Pilot.

 

[NoahWerka]

Most everything previously said is a bulls answer.The question was about an interview question. Think about the interview, not real life.

 

[Spicepilots]

Captain's authority my butt... Apparently, a lot of people still don't get it... Not to make light of what happened last year, but try changing the scenario. You're lined up on the runway, cleared for takeoff, captain spools up the engines and starts rolling. You notice that you're departing the wrong runway. You speak up to that effect. Captain ignores you because he's already rolling past 80 knots and he wants to continue the takeoff. Since the captain has the authority to call and perform the abort, would you just let him continue instead of doing something about it??

Sure, tapdance around the issue all you want in an interview, but the idea that the captain is the final authority in the operation of the airplane doesn't extend into CFIT just because he's the captain and he wants to do things his way. Would you want the last thing heard on the CVR to be your voice saying "minimums... minimums, captain... okay, we'll just talk about this on the ground... uh, that ___ (tree, hill, building) looks really close..."

 

[j41driver]

...Help the captain find the runway and hope for the best.(This is the real life answer). The correct answer is the response that has the least amount of risk for the situation.

And you think the least risk is to try to "find the runway and hope for the best"??? Hope I'm never flying on your airplane.

 

[j41driver]

Fighting over control at all that low to the ground can be deadly.

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