Originally Posted by TurboFan

I completely understand that as a pilot you must be extra diligent on a congested ramp. That being said, I was told during my stint as a ramp agent that I was wholly responsible for any aircraft that I was marshaling and that I would be responsible, and not the pilots, should anything happen.

How is it that these pilots could be fired when they were simply following the direction of the marshaler? If we as pilots can't trust a marshaler what is their purpose? There is a lot to pay attention to while operating in the extremely congested gate areas, I don't think this is the pilots fault and I definitely don't think they deserve to be fired over it.

Originally Posted by atpwannabe

I agree.

Some years back, when I worked the ramp for Comair at CVG, we were busier than a beehive. I was working a flight and an RJ-2 was taxiing in. There was no to marshel the a/c in. So, me being the team player that I am, leaped into action.

As I was marshelling the ac/c in, another employee with about 7-10 years who was driving the mail cart, was just slightly over the yellow painted lines for all tugs & baggage/mail carts. Needless to say as the a/c was taxiing in the left winglet caught the baggage cart ever so slightly but just enough to snap the wing forward just a little bit. Both me and the driver of the cart were suspended for 3 days, tested for drugs/alcohol. We both returned to work.

I can remember the look on the Captain's face. He was pi$$ed. I saw that same Captain about 3-5 years later. We both laughed about the situation. Fortunately that crew was not fired.



atp