Sad news for Freight

[SW4guy]

My prayers for their families. I know Grand Air very well. All thier pilots are a good bunch of guys just trying to make it in this industry and they shouldn't have to pay with their lives to do so. I have seen a lot of low timers driving around thier Metroliners and Falcons. The guy that owns that place is an Indian fellow. He loves money and will do whatever it takes to make it. Talking to their pilots at various airports, they all are concerned about how terrible the maint is. Yet they can't leave because nobody is hiring. I think the crew should make the final go/no go decision, and not the owner.

 

[FR8dognit]

I've picked up in Del Rio three times this week...seat covers...151 bags each time...the weight was around 2200 lbs each time and in a falcon 20 you can only take off at about 23,800 gross weight...every time I go anywhere we have to stop for gas in SAT or at least the Dallas area. Don't know how much freight they had but streching fuel is bad

 

[Buckeye]

I was doing a little research on Grand Aire and their safety record, they have wrecked 4 other falcons since 1998, all non-fatal. Plus these 2 makes 6 and a fatality. They also had a fatal crash this past summer (02). It was a PA-60. Is the problem, MX, training or under qualified pilots?

 

[embdrvr]

I was doing a little research on Grand Aire and their safety record, they have wrecked 4 other falcons since 1998, all non-fatal. Plus these 2 makes 6 and a fatality. They also had a fatal crash this past summer (02). It was a PA-60. Is the problem, MX, training or under qualified pilots?

I don't know squat about Grand Aire but I can tell you from personal experience the FAA often allows companies to stay in business that shouldn't be operating. A buddy of mine once explained that the if the Feds shut down unsafe operators there would be fewer inspector jobs so basically the Feds let these guys continue on with an occasional slap on the wrist just so they can keep their jobs.

 

[Fred Rabahabitz]

Unbelievable...a sh*t company crashes two airplanes in the same day and you have the audacity to blame the FAA....WOW...truly unbelievable

 

[SquirrelDog]

FA-20s

First time every have I heard of anyone losing there life in a 20. Must of been really bad, my thoughts and prayers go out to those involved.
As for the making it to SUS from DRT. Only way to make it non-stop in bad weather and a missed is a fuel STOP! BTW fr8dognit check you numbers for the temp its a bit higher.

Correct me if I am wrong but is Grand Aire shut down now and is it permanent?

Squirreldog

 

[Otter]

The suggestion that the FAA wont do anything to protect his/her pay grade is a bit off balance. True, total number of operators and complexity of those operators may get an inspector a gs-14 instead of a gs-13, but two crashes are also putting that inspector in a whole lot of hot water. The FAA will be looking in to the inspector as well, he/she is responsible for oversight of the certificate.

 

[falcondriver]

Everybody may want to wait and see what the NTSB says about the accidents, before they lay blame on the crews. I have my opinions but they will stay mine.
My heart goes out to the families of the crews.
Falcondriver