[rjsimmon]

You guys don’t understand, it’s not up to the pilot, the tower makes the call

I believe quite a few DO understand. 15 years of Marine Corps aviation and my FAA instrument rating tell me quite a different story. The Pilot in Command (PIC) has total say over the safety of his aircraft and crew. The tower issues authorization to take-off and land only. They cannot order a pilot to do anything that the pilot deems unsafe. They can order a pilot out of the airspace, but not to land.

This pilot was AFU and nearly cost the lives of himself, his crew, and his passengers.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Agreed.

[Creeping Incrementalism]

Nein! In Deutschland, Air Traffik Kontrol kommand, and zee pilot obey!!!

When I went to ground school for my isntrument rating, the class joke was that whenever we were asked a question about what to do in a certain situation but we didn’t know the answer, everyone would shout “7700”!, the transponder code for emergency, because when a pilot declares an emergency, he can break whatever rules he feels necessary.

I met a German chick there who had interviewed for Lufthansa but was rejected. I never flew with her, but she had more hours in gliders alone by age 19 than most of the twenty-something instructors had in total. She told me Lufthansa prefers to hire pilots with no expereince whatsoever, because it is easier to train them their own way.

[diogenes ghost]

"They cannot order a pilot to do anything that the pilot deems unsafe."

Well, that is correct.....and incorrect.

ATC never "orders" pilots to do anything.

They issue "clearances" that the pilot is required to obey, unless he is concerned for "safety of flight."

If he chooses not to follow a valid clearance, and can show it was a reasonable call on his part, the matter is dropped.