Originally Posted by forgot to bid

As a former XJT CA, if I got paperwork and there were alternates around I could really use then I went and I dealt with the weather enroute. If I didn't make it I diverted but I only did that 3 times in 5.5 years. Warn the folks and then go, try to get there and then if necessary divert. Weclome to the big boy/girl world, nexrad isn't everything and this isn't a student going out for a solo cross country, its your job now to go from A to B when they tell you. If you don't like it, work the ramp.

With that said, XJ and Coex should be hammered for what happened. XJT should not send aircraft to OAL alternates where they have no ops. In that way its their own damn fault unless because of weather RST was the only viable airport to land out once they were near MSP. But if they were dispatched to MSP with RST as the alternate then XJT ought to get nailed.

If handling that flight was XJ's responsibility and they knew the plane was coming and had accepted to take the plane then they should get sued because they obviously didn't handle it right.

I'll split the difference and say both operators ought to face the blame. As a passenger I'd sue both operators for failing to do their job or to act in good faith.

As to what the crew did, we weren't there. So opine all you want but you weren't there. Signature maybe open 24/7, but are you sure it wasn't asked? Are you sure they didn't ask the fire department? Are you sure they didn't cuss out their own dispatcher? Are you sure they didn't look for a latter? Are you sure they weren't in a position where they couldn't taxi out? Are you sure if you had pulled in the gate, realized the issue and tried to power back with your own engines that you wouldn't get fired because this situation was not an emergency? Are you sure the chalks would've been out anyways? I don't ever ever remember reading anywhere in any book, not saying its not true but these options are not presented to crews, that hey, you can deplane anywhere if need be. Its a nice thought but when you're told there is a $10,000 fine for messing up 1 thing on a backup paper weight and balance then by all means you should assume not completing a flight, deplaning on a ramp and having passengers walk out of that FBO and disappear would not result in FAA fines of tremendous proportions. There is no list of fines and violations at a pilots disposal fwiw and frankly did the crew thing at 1am that this would last till 6? Probably not, you keep working and working on a solution and before you know it its 2, then 3, then 4. Then something good is coming then it doesn't, don't do that just wait will do this, now its 5, oh wait, its 6, here they come.

As to someone's earlier question about offloading an ERJ with no airstair in an emergency the answer is you jump. Its a high jump and it is absolutely dangerous and people will absolutely get hurt, there is no way around it. I jumped it a few times for various reasons and you get a sting when you do it and sitting and then jumping isn't that great either. It lends to your feet getting sucked under the bend of fuselage as you go and then get ready for a concrete face plant. Hence as a CA we were told to think twice about evacuating due to probable injuries, it may have been in writing or it still might be in writing.