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Sabotage on the ATL ramp?

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COOPERVANE

COOPERVANE

Member since 1967
Joined
Mar 2, 2002
Posts
2,167
ASA had an air return this week due to Airspeed mis-compare. Airspeed was way off on the FO side, and Captains side was similar to the standby.

Earlier the crew had refused to leave without a bug wash. During said bug wash, the rampers were visibly upset at being "forced" to perform such an unnecessary action for us prima donna pilots.

After the return a melted rubber glove was found on BOTH pitot tubes.

Either this guy was totally incompetent and should be fired, OR should go to jail for sabotaging an aircraft. If it hadn't been VFR, it would have been a more exciting flight. We have incompetent hoods working our ramp. Most likely nothing will come of this.

Be CAREFUL out there
 
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Yea he needs to be publicly flogged, then thrown in jail for gross negligence. He just gambled with up to 80 lives.
 
The FBI would take a serious interest in this, if it happened as described.
 
Why wasn't this brought to the attention of the media? Sure Fox and CNN would love to hear this after all the other reports they've been doing.
 
I doubt that anyone could track down the guilty party. Are there records kept of which ramper worked where? Is there video?

A more likely question, would the company, either mother 'D' or ASA, do anything about it?
 
CFI2766 said:
I doubt that anyone could track down the guilty party. Are there records kept of which ramper worked where? Is there video?

A more likely question, would the company, either mother 'D' or ASA, do anything about it?
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I don't believe ASA or Delta could say much about it if the crew decides to press charges. Last time I checked, it was federal offense of the felony type to interfere in the operations or duties of a flight. This isn't something either company can stop even if it chose to attempt it.

On a side note, while the rampers tend to get a black eye on FI, if you talk to those guys like people, they tend to help you out as well. There are guys and gals out there that work their butts off. Give them some credit. You wouldn't catch my lazy tail down there tossing bags when it's over 100 on the ramp.
 
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Browntothebone said:
Why are you assuming the most African American men were in jail at one point in their lives? You are obviously a racist and biggot.
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We need to send you back to 'Nam and drop you off in the middle of the jungle with nothing but a plastic knife and a fresh pair of tube socks.
 
Don't you guys do a walk around before you get in the airplane for god's sake? I would bet the faa would have an issue with someone taking off with melted glove on their pitot tubes. But that's just me.
 
cjdriver said:
Don't you guys do a walk around before you get in the airplane for god's sake? I would bet the faa would have an issue with someone taking off with melted glove on their pitot tubes. But that's just me.
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From the story it sounds like it happened well after the walk-around was completed. I hope a very thorough investigation is conducted, by the FBI if necessary (fingerprinting the gloves, interviewing all ramp workers at that gate, etc). That's clear and straightforward sabotage, and could have resulted in a catastrophe. Hasn't anyone read those signs at FBOs that list the legal consequences of aircraft sabotage? 20 years in the federal slammer I believe.
 
Is there video surveillance of that area?
 
cjdriver said:
Don't you guys do a walk around before you get in the airplane for god's sake? I would bet the faa would have an issue with someone taking off with melted glove on their pitot tubes. But that's just me.
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Maybe you are clueless. Maybe the walkaround was completed long before someone intentionally or otherwise left a glove on a pitot tube. In fact, window washes are done after the doors are closed just prior to pushback. Would you have the FO jump out and do another walk around to ensure nobody left a glove?
 
It's quite possible this was a bone-headed but honest mistake. I can't see anyone who is drawing a paycheck doing this on purpose.

And yes, Browntothebone, we are all racists. Including you. It's based on pattern recognition imprinting which occurrs the first few months after birth. Why do you think Tarzan didn't like people?

(and no, that is not a racist comment, I just thought it had more impact than a 'boy raised by wolves' analogy)

Read a book you.
 
This is as dangerous as someone trying to access the flight deck!!! These people need to be found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
 
You are saying the entire ramp crew was so POed that nobody else spoke up that something was sticking out of both pitot tubes. That they were bold enough to do this on the ramp were god knows how many people would see them do this. Not to say that unbelievable crap is posted on this site but I would want see the pix of this or here about it on the company site from Les himself before I call this one fact. Most of the rampers wouldn't know what a PS/1 or PS/2 tube looked like or how to disable it. Most pobably don't even know that they are heated.
 
Latest info. The melted material was at first assumed to be from rubber gloves, but that is not confirmed. It might be from closed cell foam "grip" material from the bug wash ladders, or other unknown source.

If it was an accident, it sure seems odd that the ladder was placed in such a way as to come into contact with BOTH pitot tubes. Are the ladders tall enough? Do they have foam grip material on them? I've never noticed.

Maybe someone wearing workout gloves grabbed those convenient "handholds" on the side of the plane and left a coat of rubber on them?

Maybe we will hear something soon.
 
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Uh, why were the probes on at the gate? Is that some special RJ kung-fu?
 
The probes are function of power configuration of the airplane, not of switch position.
 
COOPERVANE said:
Latest info. The melted material was at first assumed to be from rubber gloves, but that is not confirmed. It might be from closed cell foam "grip" material from the bug wash ladders, or other unknown source.

If it was an accident, it sure seems odd that the ladder was placed in such a way as to come into contact with BOTH pitot tubes. Are the ladders tall enough? Do they have foam grip material on them? I've never noticed.

Maybe someone wearing workout gloves grabbed those convenient "handholds" on the side of the plane and left a coat of rubber on them?

Maybe we will hear something soon.
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yes, they do.
 
CRJ puppy said:
actually, it's a W.O.W. function (fail safe)...plus switch position....from one who has touched them on the ground when the switch is left ON
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Ah! Well that won't be the last time I'm wrong on these forums. :) I would imagine the probe switches would have already been in the "ON" position by the time this occured anyways...although I'm not familiar with ASA's checklist.

Thanks for the refresher, haha... each day (and drink) that goes by I forget more about that plane.
 

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