What's right with ALPA
I wont add my own comments, just a letter from the MEC Chairman from CJC (Colgan) who represents one of the newest member airlines of ALPA. Take a few moments to read it and see what's right with ALPA.
February 15, 2009
My Fellow Pilots,
On Thursday night our airline experienced a traumatic event with the crash of Flight 3407. As the shock of the news wore off, I pulled out my ALPA accident response card and called the number hoping to receive some assistance. Within minutes of my initial call to the ALPA hotline, the response from our brothers and sisters at other ALPA airlines has been swift, tremendous, and overwhelming. With more than 75 years of experience, ALPA is often referred to as the world’s largest non-governmental aviation safety organization and we are now part of that organization. Without a single Colgan pilot having paid a single penny of dues to ALPA, we are receiving some of the most cost- and labor-intensive benefits ALPA has to offer without any hesitation, and I want to share with you some of the details.
In the middle of the night, without any sleep, pilot volunteers from almost a dozen airlines and staff engineers from ALPA headquarters began packing bags, making travel plans, and saying good bye to their families. By mid day Friday more than 20 volunteers from Pinnacle, ExpressJet, Continental, Delta, Piedmont, American Eagle, ASTAR, and FedEx had arrived in Buffalo and crew rooms around our system. The combined group brought over 100 years of air safety and accident investigation experience. These pilot volunteers are working for the Colgan pilot group, using their experience to supplement our fledgling air safety group.
Leading our accident investigation team is Captain Peter Frey of Delta Airlines. Captain Frey is an experienced ALPA accident investigator of 15 years, a member of the ALPA National Accident Investigation Board, and is the course director for ALPA’s accident investigation school AI2. Captain Frey has worked on the Comair 5191 accident in Lexington Kentucky and several other accidents and incidents at Delta Airlines.
Newark Colgan Captain Mike Wickboldt has been assigned to work with the NTSB operations and human performance group. This group focuses on the operation of the aircraft, training and the operation of the airline as a whole. The operations group will conduct interviews in Buffalo and then travel around the country to interview other crew members and management personnel.
Newark Colgan Captain Matt Green has been assigned to the NTSB aircraft systems group. This group focuses on the operation of the aircrafts systems during the accident flight and requires the group to be at the accident scene.
Newark Colgan Captain Chris Nelson has been assigned to the NTSB cockpit voice recorder (CVR) group. Over the next several days he will go to NTSB headquarters in Washington , D.C. and assist the safety board by listening to the CVR and transcribing the conversations and sounds that were recorded during the accident flight.
Newark Colgan Captain Corey Heiser has been assigned to the NTSB maintenance records group. This group has the task of reviewing all of the records for the aircraft.
Rounding out the investigation team is Continental Airlines First Officer Demko working on the NTSB aircraft structures group. Continental Airlines Captain Drexler is working on the NTSB Air Traffic Control Group. Pinnacle Airlines Captain Duke is working on the NTSB weather group. Continental Airlines Captain Herrig is working on the NTSB power plants group. ALPA National Staff Engineer Chad Balentine is working on the NTSB aircraft performance group. Piedmont Captains Ormsbee, Williams and Sampson are on scene to lend assistance with long experience flying the Dash 8. ALPA National Staff Engineer Joe Bracken is leading our command center with Pinnacle Captains Rose and Van Voorhis providing support.
The Association has also provided several volunteers who are members of the Critical Incident Response Program (CIRP) team. Five volunteers from ExpressJet and American Eagle assist the investigators and families by providing stress and psychological support. I urge everyone to use the CIRP support services. There will be a follow-up Fastread providing direction.
Our pilot group, along with the rest of the Colgan Air family, must come together in times like these. We have been knocked down by this tragedy. Use each other to pick ourselves up and heal the wounds to get us through this tragedy.
Fraternally,
Captain Mark Segaloff, Chairman
CJC Master Executive Council