Originally Posted by
irrelevant
I'm curious how many days this aircraft was operating with the APU deferred? We've all seen airlines use the MEL "can be inoperative up to XX days" as a goal, rather than a short-term dispatch tool. While it may not have made a difference in this case, I think there should be a hard look at changing the APU deferral category from C to B. This would allow airlines to maintain schedule integrity when an APU breaks, but limit the risk to ground personnel.
I don't disagree but I'm not sure that the FAA's mandate extends quite as far as changing operating procedures because a somebody on the ground might walk into an operating engine. Maybe.
Their calculus on that would be stats related to the risks of going single-generator in the event of an engine failure. Probably not ramp safety. Or pax safety on a hot day.
The go-fund me is over $100K, so that's good. I'm guessing pilots helped with that.