Posted on 10/30/2009 3:24:16 PM PDT by La Enchiladita
Union anger over the Federal Aviation Administration's decision to revoke the licenses of two Northwest Airlines pilots threatens to disrupt voluntary safety-reporting programs used by many carriers, according to industry officials.
FAA regulators Tuesday revoked the licenses of both pilots aboard Northwest Flight 188, which failed to respond to air-traffic controllers for about 90 minutes. The union isn't defending actions of the pilots, who asked to be protected under voluntary reporting rules. But officials of the Air Line Pilots Association claim regulators jumped the gun and disregarded voluntary procedures worked out over many years among regulators, airlines and unions.
The union contends the enforcement move violated the spirit, and probably the letter, of voluntary arrangements in place at Northwest parent Delta Air Lines Inc. and other carriers.
FAA officials have rejected such claims, asserting that voluntary-disclosure programs were never meant to cover violations such as those committed by the Northwest cockpit crew. An FAA spokeswoman said certain types of behavior, including crimes, intentional violations, and alcohol and drug abuse, are beyond the purview of such programs.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Yep. 78 minutes is a long, long time to supposedly be engrossed in your laptops and not hear a call, especially repeated calls.
The CVR track will tell the story. And they know that.
Only if they get extra frequent flyer miles.
They seem to be voluntarily lying and keeping their lips sealed about the truth. Too bad the FAA ever knuckled under to these stupid union agreements.
Just a guess here ... something was recorded in the last 30 minutes they didn't want for prosperity so they flew on for enough time to record over the last 30 minutes
.
What is a CVR track?
I’d sure-as-hell ask for a thousand extra frequent flyer miles.
≤}B^)
I’ve despised the unions since I was 16 and working at the GEMCO gas station. We used to sell additives, like Wynn’s and Blendzoil. We got “spiffs” from the sales reps for each can we sold, and there was a tab inside the can to redeem it with. The union said we had to report those little .10-.35 cent spiffs. Our dues were based on our hourly earnings.
I chucked that job and made five times as much riding the walls of death at the LA County fair with my Hodaka Combat Wombat. LOL
But your theory still might hold water, just have to look further back.
I still think they were snoozing.
Thanks. I thought I heard that it only had 30 or 45 minutes on a loop, and therefore was worthless in this case.
LOL.
And there is the possibility not all pilots are as honorable as you are, or as you would like to believe. I’m not sure this is merely a media cook-up as you allege since the FAA has revoked their licenses. And you’re right, 90 minutes is a LOT longer than 15. No thanks to ever having these guys in a cockpit again.
Of course, the FAA isn’t all that the public thinks they are either.
Another strange thing: the NTSB, who are doing the investigation, reportedly declined to seize the pilots’ laptops. Is that another coup for the union?
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