Originally Posted by The dude

All right SS, you should probably chill just a bit. Your concerns are valid, but you also need to understand that these 2 pilots do not deserve to be slandered. I have stated in previous posts that this accident, much like over 80% of others, was caused by pilot error in some form. However, I believe these 2 pilots are not villains that should be spoken harshly of. The "guilty" party is the "system" that allows inexperienced or ill-equipped pilots into the cockpit of an airliner.

When it comes down to it, it's all about money. It starts with the majors who farm out their lift to regionals to save money. They use other regionals to whipsaw against each other which reduces the quality of EVERYTHING!!! The regionals can't afford to pay pilots what they should make because if they do they'll lose money. If they bid too high for flying they'll lose it to another regional that is willing to do it for cheaper at the expense of the labor group. The system is broken. The majors will never admit it, but they are the root of the problem!!! You notice how although these passengers purchased a ticket on Continental Airlines, Continental is distancing themselves from this accident as much as they possibly can.

Continental and these other majors DISGUST me with these practices, which is why I left the regionals, and the airline industry. I've flown fatigued, done more reduced rest overnights than I can count, eaten sh*t out of vending machines for dinner....all for pennies. It's crap what regional pilots have to go through to try to get to a major.

I hope my previous posts have not come across as personal attacks or slanders against these pilots. My heart breaks for them and the other victims.


P.S. I'd like to hear Larry Kellner's opinion on this topic. After Gordon Bethune left, he made it his mission to destroy/dismantle ExpressJet (which, WAS one of the only decent regionals and has TOP NOTCH training) and go to the lowest bidder, which just happened to be flying these passengers to Buffalo that night.