Originally Posted by
USMCFLYR
When Alaska passengers put pressure on pilots to make foolish, or deadly, decisions | Alaska Dispatch
I find this to be an interesting article.
The article makes particular mention of the separation of pilots from passengers, and even Air Ambulance pilots from the patients in back, to preclude undue/unreasonable pressure from the *mission* influencing the pilot's go/no-go decisions; but this article concentrates on the *outback* type of Alaskan operations and brings up a valuable point.
I'd like to hear from past and current pilots whom have flown under these circumstances that have stories of pressure from passengers to sahre and how did you handle it, or would have handled it differently.
First, I do not believe these issues are confined to AK nor are they disporportionate to any significant degree. I have flown in AK as well as the lower 48... I rarely felt pressured by a PAX, and if I did it made no difference in my decisions. While I can empathise, I have no trouble explaning the situation to passengers and saying no or postponing. Further a pilot who will yield to PAX pressure should not be flying. There is an issue however, and it is multifacted. Regarding AK, the locals and natives will normally understand; the pressure, from PAX, when it does occurr will most likely be from a tourist, hunter or someone impaired or otherwise inbalanced. Basically their expensive vacation may not go as planned... The problem with the medivac flights is slightly different. Years ago the industry attempted to isolate patient information/status from the pilots. I agree this was a step in the right direction. The real problem with the medivac industry is the company pressuring pilots. This applies to fixed wing as well as RW operations. However the fixed wing medivac community seems to have a better safety record. The companies pressure the flight crews as there is much money to be made in completing the missions; not to mention just needing to make the payments on some expensive machinery. It very much disturbs me when the NTSB and FAA does not properly address this issue and instead puts it back on the pilot, who is constantly faced with loss of a job and damage to their career for refusing to take certain flights. The buck does need to stop somewhere and it is officially the pilot. However safety is everyones business. It all comes down to money. I fear the employer much more a than a PAX but it is too easy just to throw a dead pilot under the bus while an employer rattles on about their safety policies, Etc. and procures a replacement aircraft and another pilot. I will conceed that many medivac operators do not engage in this practice but too many do...