Originally Posted by
80ktsClamp
That and the Colgan accident also illustrate how ridiculous it is that an offline jumpseater can't ride up front unless all seats are taken.... stupid TSA. There were jumpseaters on both flights.
Had there been another set of eyes up front, I would be willing to bet that neither accident would have happened. I believe the Colgan flight had an online guy..but still.
It was before these accidents, but when I was a CA, I always enthusiastically welcomed jumpseaters and encouraged them to sit wherever they want- most certainly including up front for these very reasons. The conversation dynamic is more enjoyable with 3 guys, and the extra set of eyes can save many lives.
Absolutely.
Not to gloat because it was pure chance, but I prevented two ASAP reports in a single day once.
On the jumpseat of a 757 out of DTW, the crew was flying a single leg back to a southern hub and had already called in fatigued for their subsequent out-and-back due to a fire alarm in the middle of the night at the hotel. It was their first domestic trip in years and first time at DTW, period (other than the flight in the day before). I spotted a wrong turn on the taxi out and they got it swung around going the right way in time and then said, "alright, you're giving us progressive from here to the hold short line!" Joking, but kind of not.
Later that day (didn't get out of the hub as a non-rev) I was on an AirTran jumpseat back to DTW. They were established for one runway, and tower gave them the option of another for a quicker taxi. They took the offer but lined up on a third, incorrect runway which I spotted and they queried ATC and turns out they were about to line up for the wrong one.
As I said, any jumpseater would have done the same, I merely bring it up because it really can help to have someone else watching during the busy times.
Would NW188 have flown by MSP (or even gone out of radio contact at all) if they had a jumpseater or two up there on the way from SAN? That easily could have been another example where it would have helped.