Yet another contract ramper screw up at Alaska

[wnplt]

Maybe it would have been cheaper just to settle the labor dispute the first time then to lock em out and deal with this crap on a daily basis. I guess it goes to show you ...you get what you pay for. I have no sympathy for AS management.




Second Alaska plane damaged by baggage handler


[SIZE=-1]02:34 PM MST on Thursday, January 5, 2006

[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]By kgw.com, KING and AP Staff [/SIZE]
SEATAC, Wash. -- An Alaska Airlines plane was damaged by a baggage handler on Thursday in the second such incident in the last two weeks, officials said.

http://www.ktvb.com/news/regional/stories/L_IMAGE.108519f95fb.93.88.fa.d0.4aca9d1c.jpg KING photo
An Alaska Airlines jet at Sea-Tac International Airport was taken out of commission Thursday after a tow tug collided with it.


It happened on the ground at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport about 11:30 a.m. when a baggage loader collided with the 737 jet, damaging it enough to take it out of service, said airline spokeswoman Amanda Tobin.

Four passengers -- three adults and one minor -- were on board at the time, but no injuries were reported.

Sea-Tac Airport spokesman Bob Parker confirmed that Menzies, the company involved in another damaged Alaska Airlines plane incident at Sea-Tac just 10 days ago, was again involved.

Parker said a Menzies employee had accidentally put a tow tug in reverse, damaging the boarding door. At the same time, the baggage belt loader was still against the plane. When the plane was pushed, the baggage belt was pushed against the engine.

Flight 808 from Anchorage was making a stopover at Sea-Tac before continuing on to Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport.

The exact extent of damage to the plane hasn't been determined.

 

[BORAT]

The funny thing is "Menzies'' is slang for menstration...

This is a SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, and the company is in complete denial about it. The rampers came from the same gene pool as management I'm afraid...

I still remember pulling into the gate one night and one of the "ramp thugs" drives straight through the stand right in front of us, so we slam on the brakes and shine every possible light we had on the airplane at the tug, and the fool just keeps going completely oblivious to us!
The Port of Seattle Police is also annoyed with Alaska because of all this. The company failed to report a few of the incidents to them. All in all I'm sick of it all. But the "rumble" underneath D1 & D2 awhile back was amusing...

Note: If flying Alaska through Seattle avoid checking luggage at all cost!

 

[flx757]

For what it's worth, here is the "complete denial":

Fellow Pilots,​

We have a serious problem and we need your help to fix it. Safe ground operations are absolutely critical. Critical to the safety and welfare of our passengers and fellow employees; and critical to our airline's reputation and future success. We have worked hard with Menzies Aviation to develop training, processes and procedures to ensure a safe operation. The events of the last week clearly highlight that we haven't done enough.


Alaska has engaged Menzies at the highest level of both companies to commit to provide whatever resources and support are required to ensure we achieve the highest level of safety on the ground. You should see visible evidence of that commitment as soon as this morning and details of the plan will follow shortly. However, no change is immediate, and every change needs to be reinforced and supported. That is where your help is needed. For us to achieve the level of safety we require across our operation, all of us need to diligently and consistently follow policies and procedures. We talk about it at every pilot in command course. The pilots at our airline have the best seat in the house for viewing the operation and can provide the best insight. In addition, you can lead from the front by ensuring that our ground operation is safe and compliant with our policies. Don't taxi in to the gate with equipment inside the safety lines; don't release the brakes unless the walkaround is really complete; don't taxi in without the required ground personnel with the proper equipment. Do call ops and describe the problem. We need to know about it and we need to get it fixed. In Seattle you can talk directly with the Station Manager on Duty (MOD) through Ops on the radio or you can call on the MOD cell phone at XXXXXXXX. In LAX and elsewhere, use the Ops frequency. We need the input, and we certainly need timely info if it means resolving a safety concern and getting the flight moving. As always, use the safety hazard reporting system. In the near term it would help if you will pass your concerns about the operation to the Base Chiefs as well.


These are difficult times. Please continue to provide the leadership you always have; please continue to demonstrate your professionalism; and please support your fellow employees. We all need to work together to overcome the current challenges and build our future.


Thanks for listening,

XXXX

 

[BORAT]

The one on Alaskasworld is pretty funny as well... I like the part where they say that the Menzie's employee promptly reported the incident...Well no duh! You can't miss the airplane moving and the door on the jetway! The ramper didn't have to report it because the crew was aware of it! The incident with the MD-80 was a little different...

I was just looking at the CP's newsletter from DEC 30... The top line reads UPROFESSIONAL PILOTS MAKING IT HAPPEN...Makes ya go hmmm...

 

[wnplt]

Bagley must have come up with that slogan...Makes me ponder the days when he told all us Horizon guys we were "JUVENILE DELINQUENTS IN UNIFORM" Well I think he is down syndrome with a type rating...If you ask me.

 

[AKMD80GUY]

I haven't seen it on the news yet but a MD80 out of SFO yesterday had to do an emergency return to SFO due to a damaged tailcone. A Menzies ramper hit the tail cone with a bag cart and damaged the tailcone. A EA was recieved from Boeing but after takeoff the vibration was so bad they returned to SFO. Also I heard today that another plane was damaged this morning in SEA. I'm in the school house today and overheard the conversation. I also like the letter from KF about us needing to help and do our part. Whatever dude!!

 

[Atlanta Vicks]

Sadly, I fear that it's going to take someone getting hurt or killed to get those guys out of there. Let's hope im wrong.

 

[ReverseSensing]

For what it's worth, here is the "complete denial"

Your apparent "nothing-to-see-here" attitude defies all logic. You still sticking to these comments from early December on the subject, too?

Must be a really slow news week. Or KING 5 news is "jumping" all over a months and months old story.




I don't profess to offer any commentary other than this IS old news. On-going or not, there is no news here.

 

[flx757]

Here's more...with apologies to Reverse Sensing (those Dec comments had to do with "gang tagging". That is relavent here HOW???? Hardly the same "subject". "Logic" implies understanding. You seem to be missing that part of the equation...the understanding.) It seems the Alaska pilots here get it....but maybe this Horizon guy is a bit slow??

Alaska, Menzies launch aggressive
action plans to improve ramp operations

Plans include a top-to-bottom safety review
and greater oversight of contract workers

January 6, 2006

Expressing significant concern over a spate of recent incidents involving ground damage to its jets, Alaska Airlines this week directed Menzies Aviation to develop a new, more aggressive action plan to improve ramp operations in Seattle and LAX.

As a first step, Menzies is flying a team of 25 safety experts to Seattle from its network of 90 airports around the world.

As a second step, the ground services company is sending a task force of ground handling experts.

Starting Monday, the group will lead a comprehensive 90-day review of the ramp services Menzies provides at Alaska’s major hub. All costs for the task force will be born exclusively by Menzies.
“Menzies Aviation shares Alaska's commitment to safety and we take ground damage incidents extremely seriously," said Craig Smyth, CEO of Menzies Aviation. "We believe this task force and safety team will have broad, positive implications for our Sea-Tac operation."

In recent weeks a number of Alaska jets have been damaged on the ground by Menzies ramp workers. No injuries were reported and Menzie’s is paying the cost of the damage.

“While we have taken steps to ensure improvements in Menzies performance, it is clear that even more substantial action is needed,” said CEO Bill Ayer. “Last night we held a lengthy and candid discussion with the senior leaders of Menzies Aviation about the steps that must be taken to get our ramp operation back on track. And at my direction Glenn Johnson (interim vice president of ground operations) has developed an action plan of our own. Implementation of both began today.”

Menzies plan
The Menzies task force and safety team includes 25 specialists from airport ground-service operations around the world, including London, Sydney and Amsterdam. It will focus its review on employee training, safety reporting, equipment, operational procedures, incentive structures and staffing.

Smyth said the task force and safety team’s goal is to turn his company's Sea-Tac operation for Alaska into a model for safety for all Menzies stations in the United States and, ultimately, around the world.

In addition to the task force and safety team, Menzies today announced a series of other measures it is taking at its own expense in light of recent events. They include:

• Soliciting feedback from Alaska pilots and others on how to improve ramp operations.
• Hiring an outside safety-consulting firm to conduct a risk analysis of the Seattle ramp operation.
• Providing specially marked vests to identify its safety specialists on the ramp. These safety specialists have received specialized training in accident prevention, procedures and reporting. They also serve as consultants for safety issues to other Menzies employees.
• Increasing staffing levels at both LAX and Seattle.
• Launching a weekly safety poster and briefing campaign.
• Sending 30 lead supervisors to a 10-week, college-level leadership training course.

Alaska’s plan
In addition to action by Menzies, Alaska is taking steps of its own to improve ramp operations systemwide.

They include assigning a team to perform a comprehensive review of all ground incidents and assigning additional supervisory staff for monitoring ramp operations.

“We are committed to doing everything necessary to correct the situation we are experiencing on the ramp,” said Johnson.

Alaska’s action plan includes:

• Conducting safety briefings for Menzies employees. Supplemental safety briefings for more than 430 ramp service employees, underscoring the importance and requirements of immediate reporting, have been held during the past week.
• Encouraging Menzies to adopt a non-punitive reporting philosophy similar to Alaska’s. “Anyone working around our aircraft should be able to report damage without fear of disciplinary action,” said Johnson.
• Fostering better communication between vendor and Alaska employees. “Good communication is the best way to improve safety and operational performance,” said Johnson.
• Developing a vendor oversight report card. “This will help us compare a vendor’s operation against a set of key performance measures,” said Johnson.
• Creating a way for Alaska pilots to communicate directly with station managers when they experience ground handling issues.
• Stepping up enforcement of standard procedures for ground handling Alaska jets. “Ramp activities should be done exactly according to procedures at every one of our stations, whether the ramp is staffed by our own employees or an outside vendor,” said Johnson.
• Increasing oversight and quality assurance of vendors working Alaska flights. This includes catering, fueling, ramp and other services.

Both Alaska and Menzies continue to work closely with the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Port of Seattle to identify the cause and develop remedies to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.

 

[ReverseSensing]

Here's more...with apologies to Reverse Sensing (those Dec comments had to do with "gang tagging". That is relavent here HOW???? Hardly the same "subject". "Logic" implies understanding. You seem to be missing that part of the equation...the understanding.) It seems the Alaska pilots here get it....but maybe this Horizon guy is a bit slow??

Well, flx, you can engage in as much revisionism as you like, but the December King 5 story that prompted the thread http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?t=67849
had absolutely no mention of gang-tagging in it. I just watched it again, so check it out if you don't believe me. http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_113005INKalaska_rampworkersJK.2bbed4a4.html
Moreover, the topic shifted to gang-tagging later in the thread than your comments I posted above. Sorry, but it's all there in black and white.

As for whether I lack "logic," "understanding," or may be "a bit slow," I really don't know why you feel the need to resort to an ad hominem attack. Credit where credit is due though: at least you quickly edited your post to only insinuate I'm slow, rather than all "Horizon guys."

 

[QXpeon]

fire bill ayer

 

[AKlimey]

So let me get this right, they take 30 plus % of your paychecks. Fire everyone on the ramp, some of whom are good friends of yours, some of which have been with the "family" for at least ten years or more. And now Ayer is asking for your help to fix the "problem".

I think you need to implement a drug testing program in corporate HQ.

 

[densoo]

Classic beauracracy. Look at all those bullet points! That'll do it.

Throw a lot of dust in the air, make a lot of noise, and address everything except the problem which was a change of the vendor. In the end, they'll spend more money proving they made the right decision to go with the current vendor than they would have spent keeping the old one in place and happy.

Here's more...with apologies to Reverse Sensing (those Dec comments had to do with "gang tagging". That is relavent here HOW???? Hardly the same "subject". "Logic" implies understanding. You seem to be missing that part of the equation...the understanding.) It seems the Alaska pilots here get it....but maybe this Horizon guy is a bit slow??

Alaska, Menzies launch aggressive
action plans to improve ramp operations

Plans include a top-to-bottom safety review
and greater oversight of contract workers

January 6, 2006

Expressing significant concern over a spate of recent incidents involving ground damage to its jets, Alaska Airlines this week directed Menzies Aviation to develop a new, more aggressive action plan to improve ramp operations in Seattle and LAX.

As a first step, Menzies is flying a team of 25 safety experts to Seattle from its network of 90 airports around the world.

As a second step, the ground services company is sending a task force of ground handling experts.

Starting Monday, the group will lead a comprehensive 90-day review of the ramp services Menzies provides at Alaska’s major hub. All costs for the task force will be born exclusively by Menzies.
“Menzies Aviation shares Alaska's commitment to safety and we take ground damage incidents extremely seriously," said Craig Smyth, CEO of Menzies Aviation. "We believe this task force and safety team will have broad, positive implications for our Sea-Tac operation."

In recent weeks a number of Alaska jets have been damaged on the ground by Menzies ramp workers. No injuries were reported and Menzie’s is paying the cost of the damage.

“While we have taken steps to ensure improvements in Menzies performance, it is clear that even more substantial action is needed,” said CEO Bill Ayer. “Last night we held a lengthy and candid discussion with the senior leaders of Menzies Aviation about the steps that must be taken to get our ramp operation back on track. And at my direction Glenn Johnson (interim vice president of ground operations) has developed an action plan of our own. Implementation of both began today.”

Menzies plan
The Menzies task force and safety team includes 25 specialists from airport ground-service operations around the world, including London, Sydney and Amsterdam. It will focus its review on employee training, safety reporting, equipment, operational procedures, incentive structures and staffing.

Smyth said the task force and safety team’s goal is to turn his company's Sea-Tac operation for Alaska into a model for safety for all Menzies stations in the United States and, ultimately, around the world.

In addition to the task force and safety team, Menzies today announced a series of other measures it is taking at its own expense in light of recent events. They include:

• Soliciting feedback from Alaska pilots and others on how to improve ramp operations.
• Hiring an outside safety-consulting firm to conduct a risk analysis of the Seattle ramp operation.
• Providing specially marked vests to identify its safety specialists on the ramp. These safety specialists have received specialized training in accident prevention, procedures and reporting. They also serve as consultants for safety issues to other Menzies employees.
• Increasing staffing levels at both LAX and Seattle.
• Launching a weekly safety poster and briefing campaign.
• Sending 30 lead supervisors to a 10-week, college-level leadership training course.

Alaska’s plan
In addition to action by Menzies, Alaska is taking steps of its own to improve ramp operations systemwide.

They include assigning a team to perform a comprehensive review of all ground incidents and assigning additional supervisory staff for monitoring ramp operations.

“We are committed to doing everything necessary to correct the situation we are experiencing on the ramp,” said Johnson.

Alaska’s action plan includes:

• Conducting safety briefings for Menzies employees. Supplemental safety briefings for more than 430 ramp service employees, underscoring the importance and requirements of immediate reporting, have been held during the past week.
• Encouraging Menzies to adopt a non-punitive reporting philosophy similar to Alaska’s. “Anyone working around our aircraft should be able to report damage without fear of disciplinary action,” said Johnson.
• Fostering better communication between vendor and Alaska employees. “Good communication is the best way to improve safety and operational performance,” said Johnson.
• Developing a vendor oversight report card. “This will help us compare a vendor’s operation against a set of key performance measures,” said Johnson.
• Creating a way for Alaska pilots to communicate directly with station managers when they experience ground handling issues.
• Stepping up enforcement of standard procedures for ground handling Alaska jets. “Ramp activities should be done exactly according to procedures at every one of our stations, whether the ramp is staffed by our own employees or an outside vendor,” said Johnson.
• Increasing oversight and quality assurance of vendors working Alaska flights. This includes catering, fueling, ramp and other services.

Both Alaska and Menzies continue to work closely with the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Port of Seattle to identify the cause and develop remedies to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.

 

[mach none]

They were in denial. It took them 7 months to acknowledge and address these issues. The pilot group and the MEC have been saying there is a problem all along. We were just dismissed as a bunch of pi$$ed off pilots because of Kashtration.

The only reason Alaska Ayerlines has done anything is because the news started covering all the incidents. Ayer and the boys don't like to look bad. Too late.

KF can F#$@ off.

 

[densoo]

That new ramp/mx contract is sure saving them a lot money.

"US proposes $500,000 fine against Alaska Air
Fri Jan 6, 2006 07:04 PM ET
WASHINGTON, Jan 6 (Reuters) - U.S. regulators proposed a $500,000 fine against Alaska Airlines on Friday for allegedly operating a jetliner on 478 flights without proper lighting to identify emergency exits."

http://yahoo.reuters.com/financeQuoteCompanyNewsArticle.jhtml?duid=mtfh03648_2006-01-07_00-04-25_n06350639_newsml

 

[ferlo]

KF can F#$@ off.[/quote]


Couldn't have said it better myself. I love his new "perspective" pleading for our help. F. U. I'm not going to fix what they broke. F' em. So long as nobody gets hurt, I don't care if Menzies punches a hole in every aircraft they own. you get what you pay for and this >30%er isn't going to lift a GD finger. And as far as his plea for our "professionalism" is concerned, Real professionals get compensated with Cash, not moose munch. You get what you pay for with your pilots too you arrogant, CYA at all cost, A-holes.

 

[F/O]

Hey Bill and George:

You get what you pay for.

 

[becket]

Interesting, I guess 261 didn't teach them anything...

 

[cforst513]

i'd be pissed as hell if i was a pilot. get the contract guys outta there before someone gets killed. why does it take something catastrophic to get these management types moving?

 

[tico]

i'd be pissed as hell if i was a pilot. get the contract guys outta there before someone gets killed. why does it take something catastrophic to get these management types moving?

We are mostly too busy putting together a life out side of and away from Alaska Airlines to worry about what Menzies or "The Anglers" or the "2 Floor Crew" are up to. Another airplane with a hole in it means I might get more time away.......