Hey Mathew,

It sounds like an anonymous call regarding "overall safety" to the FAA safety hotline might be in order (Of course, not after your occurrence but before... so the Company doesn't know who made the call). Then, D.C. calls your P.O.I., and says W.T.F.

Now, the P.O.I. has mud on his/her face with D.C. and is PIS3ED. This bypasses the whole D.O. buys the P.O.I his weekly lunch, and then the P.O.I. buys off on the fact that this isn't company proceedure and the pilot is just full of @#$%. The D.O. gets surprised by the ****ed off P.O.I. and changes promoting safety can happen, because now Washington D.C. is breathing down both their backs making deal-making difficult. Yes, the FAA is a dual-edged sword...

Also, if you are terminated as a transportation worker for "blowing the whistle" there are legal protections available. Am I just paranoid or is just everyone against me? Maybe both..lol.

Finally, if all else fails, I would use the IBT's media contacts to go public. If Local 747's not doing it for you, call IBT's D.C. office and tell them get 747 going on this issue. We had to do it with Local 747 in the late 90's and they were PIS3ED, too. But it worked, even if it embarrassed the higher powers there.

Good Luck...

B727DRVR