Originally Posted by
757upspilot
The problem is not with the pilot who excercised his authority but with the other pilots at the company who fail to excercise the authority and give the company the option of replacing the pilot who has drawn the line in the sand. PIC authority has been undermined by the lack of spine in the left seat.
Amen to that!! I know of too many CAs that have gotten hosed because they refused to fly a plane, only to have another CA who wanted to "get done" take the flight anyway.
Originally Posted by
Stew75
I don't think the door is a big deal. However, intimitating a PIC and taking away the authority we have is wrong. It is his certificate on the line not the airlines.
You, sir, deserve a medal for that statement
Originally Posted by
BoilerUP
One of the PIC's biggest responsibilities is risk management...considering all information, past experiences, and written guidance in order to best manage the risk to the airplane, passengers, operation, and crew's certificates.
To me, it sounds like that's exactly what this captain did.
Yes, at times your decision may differ from dispatch or management...but they're trying to run an airline and you're trying to get an airplane full of people that you're responsible for safely from point A to point B.
Kudos to this captain for leaving the parking brake set and risking his job for what he thought would provide the best and safest transportation for his passengers.
Round of a applause for you. This is our responsibility as pilots. We are at the aircraft, flying it, NOT dispatch, NOT the CP.
Originally Posted by
Airbum
In the past I can think of only a few times when I had a MEL item deferred and I would not take the plane flying. As I am sure most MELs do, our's state the MEL does not relieve the operator from determining if it is safe and that operators must exercise necessary operational control it ensure safety.
Again, round of applause here
Originally Posted by
mazi
Without getting into detail, I'm SURE this PIC was terminated for more than this one event. The door operation without assist is not a major problem. Letting it slam to the ground, in my opinion, IS. If you are able to get hold of ops prior to arrival, having two ramp agents open it is an excellent plan. Terminating a PIC because he wouldn't fly an aircraft with no APU, is wrong. It's not really the flying that's an issue, but that pesky 2+ hour taxi in Jfk in 100*, that's the safety issue. These sh$tboxes are uncomfortable as is, pack 50 piggys in there and it's horrible. NO APU on hot days don't bother coming to my gate in Ny. Weighing the Pro's and Con's is our jobs.. Managng risk. CA and FO's alike. On a side note I hope he comes back to Comair and takes an early out, that would be perfect!!!!!
You can be my wingman anytime!
Originally Posted by
mustache ride
Safety of flight doesn't mean just safety for the passengers. Crew, ramp workers, etc...your co-workers...need to be considered as well. So what do you do when OPS doesn't answer the radio (because most likely half of their positions had been cut)...and a ramper comes up to open to door and gets wacked? You're the PIC, the FAA will point fingers at you...its easier for them to place blame on an individual than to blame a company. Protect yourselves.
I'm glad that someone else acknowledges this. As long as you're in that left seat, EVERYTHING that happens on that aircraft and the people on it is your responsibility. So you better be aware of everything going on around your aircraft and the idiots that are sometimes working around it.
