Southwest off the runway at KDEN.

[HA25]

That's why I purposely taxi slow anytime I'm around another airline, I wouldn't want to Make you nervous. Just don't complain when you have to wait for me to pass by at 5 knots, I'm just being safe.

Sigh.. so it's either 5 knots or 35+ knots then? How about we just keep it under 15, or I'll even take 20 on long straights? I'm just glad Southwest doesn't operate something bigger.. I'd love to see you try that crap on a 633,000lb MD11 much less a 880,000lb 747...

 

[IBNAV8R]

I wasn't there so I can only speculate - knowing what I know about KDEN and that intersection in particular.

A company has a reputation for taxiing faster than most pilots feel is safe. Same airline involved in a taxiway excursion. No other aircraft went off the pavement at that intersection that evening.

What does the DFDR show? Did the 30 or so other aircraft that used that intersection in that hour report NIL braking action? It's one thing to screw up. It happens to all of us. It's quite another to not own up to your shortcomings and avoid another occurrence.

 

[Dash Power]

If anyone is interested in facts, the said aircraft was going 3mph while making the turn and the area in question on the taxiway was determined after the fact to have nil braking action.

All of us would have slid off the taxiway. Even the haters.

 

[Ops check good]

pilots will raise the point that SWA does have more than it's fair share of pilots that taxi like Mario Andretti wannabes and come off as less professional than other airline pilots.

So going as slow as a snail like AA is more professional?

 

[scoreboardII]

No other aircraft went off the pavement at that intersection that evening. .

Maybe because SWA was the first through there in a long time since it started snowing and then they blocked the intersection? Really dude? How about we get some facts instead of incorrect speculation.

 

[Ops check good]

Like I said before. Keep on bagging on them, that will get you some good karma. There is a reason it is called and accident. Do you really think that crew woke up that day and said "I feel like screwing up today"

 

[scoreboardII]

or said after landing in snow with less than 1/4 mile vis the FO said "hey captain, how about 30 knots to gate 49 so we can hit Doz Bog"?

 

[Dan Roman]

So going as slow as a snail like AA is more professional?

How in the world did you get that from my post???
I say again, it's unfair to judge anyone without being there. Including SWA.......but, there is a reason people jump on them about their taxi speeds.As HA25 said, why does saying taxing too fast is unprofessional means advocating taxing too slow???
You said you are a mechanic and they can take going off a taxiway at a slow speed with no problem. Fair enough Joe Patroni, but it is still highly unprofessional to need to get pulled out of the dirt.

(I wish I could remember the George Kennedy line about pilots and 707's and exiting runways from Airport, it would have been quite appropriate!)

 

[Dan Roman]

Like I said before. Keep on bagging on them, that will get you some good karma. There is a reason it is called and accident. Do you really think that crew woke up that day and said "I feel like screwing up today"

True statement, as I said it could happen to anyone. But it is important to learn from mistakes, IF it even was a mistake on his part.
The fact remains that having a hurry up and rush culture does result in a smaller margin of safety.

 

[HA25]

How in the world did you get that from my post???
I say again, it's unfair to judge anyone without being there. Including SWA.......but, there is a reason people jump on them about their taxi speeds.As HA25 said, why does saying taxing too fast is unprofessional means advocating taxing too slow???
You said you are a mechanic and they can take going off a taxiway at a slow speed with no problem. Fair enough Joe Patroni, but it is still highly unprofessional to need to get pulled out of the dirt.

(I wish I could remember the George Kennedy line about pilots and 707's and exiting runways from Airport, it would have been quite appropriate!)

best of the "Airport" movies... for the kids who don't know where you're going with that...

Joe Petroni: "this plane is built to withstand anything except a bad pilot?"
Captain: Tell your mechanic I've got over 3,000,000 miles in the air!
Joe Petroni: "And two feet in the ground!"...

and best one in my book! "good thing the 707 can't read?"