What was this UAL pilot thinking?

[Guitar rocker]

Last week we were flying near Denver and I overheard the following conversation: UAL pilot 1 is asking center to have UAL 2 switch to 123.45. Sounded urgent so we decided to listen in and see whats up. Evidently 1 and 2 departed rather close together and the weather in DEN was about 5-600RVR. Pilot 1 asks 2 over the frequency if he heard the weather reported at less than 500 RVR during UAL 1's takeoff roll because UAL 1 was wondering if he should have aborted his takeoff if it was reported at 400RVR and asked he if did anything "illegal" right on the radio.

Question for you UAL guys: If your at 120 KIAS on your takeoff roll and you overhear the controller say 400 RVR for that runway, is it a UAL SOP to abort your takeoff in this situation as it sounded like with the above pilots concern/confusion? I cant believe that such would be the case or that someone would even think about aborting a takeoff for that.....Say what yah want on the radio, but if yah think you did something wrong and there were no calls and nobody got hurt, why let the cat out of the bag on a frequency like that?

 

[Trogdor]

Reminds me of a time flying cargo when one of our pilots flying a Piper Lance in light icing was talking about it to another guy over our company frequency. Somehow the Feds were monitoring the frequency and called our dispatch wondering what was going on. I guess sometimes people don't think.

 

[Guitar rocker]

Reminds me of a time flying cargo when one of our pilots flying a Piper Lance in light icing was talking about it to another guy over our company frequency. Somehow the Feds were monitoring the frequency and called our dispatch wondering what was going on. I guess sometimes people don't think.

Exactly.....yah never know who is listening in. I think this UAL guy had all the cans of the 6 pack there but was missing the little plastic thingy to hold em all together. I'm not sure what the hell he was thinking on that one. Whatever.

 

[Mud Eagle]

I'm surprised there's not an understood company discrete freq that they can ask for without announcing it to the world.

 

[CA1900]

Uhh.... hasn't this guy heard of a takeoff briefing?

"Up to 80 knots, we'll abort for X, Y, or Z. From 80 to V1, we'll abort only for A, B, or C. Above V1 we continue the takeoff."

Of all the SOPs I've seen, "weather dropping below takeoff mins" has never, ever been one of the above items.

 

[Turtle21]

Speaking of radio in the clear..


We were sitting on the ramp blocked from our gate in LGA during a total grid lock.

The female ground controller started calling out to what seemed like 50 planes to give them each taxi instructions to clear the log jam. As each one responded that they too were simply unable to move the controllers voice became increasing witchy as her frustration increased and our ears winced.

Finally relief for our ears came after she had screamed at each of us twice and seemed to give up hope at fixing the mess. None of us could go anywhere. But that was not our desire anymore. At long last our ears were enjoying a peaceful respite from the barrage. Then it happened. About 45 seconds into the blissful radio silence. The silence was broken by a gentle keying of the mike, and a witty copilot politely posed the question, “Did I used to be married to you?”

 

[SWA/FO]

probably a kernal

 

[Guitar rocker]

Uhh.... hasn't this guy heard of a takeoff briefing?

"Up to 80 knots, we'll abort for X, Y, or Z. From 80 to V1, we'll abort only for A, B, or C. Above V1 we continue the takeoff."

Of all the SOPs I've seen, "weather dropping below takeoff mins" has never, ever been one of the above items.

Yup, I have never heard about weather dropping below take off mins as being an abort criteria. Sure sounded like this UAL pilot would have done just that had he positively heard the 400 RVR call for the runway he was taking off from.....unreal.

 

[Boz]

Striaght out of the QRG.

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Takeoff Minimums 9.40.3
International​

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[/FONT]Use the most restrictive of
published or Lower Than STD table.​

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Domestically​

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[/FONT]Use:​

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•​

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[/FONT]Published if > Standard​

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•​

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[/FONT]Lower Than STD table if:
- No minimums are published
- Published mins < Standard
​

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STD Takeoff Minimums​

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5000’ or 1 mile (​

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[FONT=Arial,Italic]B747 2400’ or [/FONT][FONT=Arial,Italic]½ mile[/FONT])​

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Lower Than STD Takeoff Minimums
Adequate Visual
Ref or HIRL/CL/
RCLM
¼ Mile (400 m), or
if RVR is AVBL:
​

[/FONT]

TDZ Mid Rollout​

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1600’​

[/FONT]

500m
NR NR
CL​

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[FONT=Arial,Bold]1000’​

[/FONT]

300m
NR​

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[FONT=Arial,Bold]1000’​

[/FONT]

300m
CL​

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[FONT=Arial,BoldItalic]and [/FONT]RCLM [FONT=Arial,Bold]500’​

[/FONT]

150m​

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500’​

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150m​

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500’​

[/FONT]

150m
Any 1 RVR may be
inop​

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Note:​

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[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Italic]NR = Not required.
With 4 RVRs, far end is NR and​

can sub for inop rollout.
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