Aircraft accident advice.
 

All,
Recently I had an accident that was contributed to inadvertent gear retraction on the runway during a touch and go that eventually resulted in an unsafe gear down indication and a subsequent collapsed of one of the main gear on the runway. Fortunately me and my crew were able to walk away injury free. I have always wanted to fly for an airline its been a dream of mine since i was a kid. Everything i have done up to this point has been tailored to me reaching that goal however, I don't want to waste the airlines time, or my own time and money if this accident is going to prevent me from even having any realistic chance at a flying job. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

How recently?

A mishap is not a career ender, but how you handle it can be. It's a learning experience.

I was approached by an individual who wrecked an airplane on his initial flight with a new operator. He hadn't been hired yet. He was interviewing for a glider tow position, did a tow to demonstrate, and turfed the airplane on landing with a groundloop that tore off a wing. When he interviewed with me, he said that he didn't feel it should count, because "I wasn't being paid yet." I pointed out that he destroyed the man's business, a single-airplane tow business, but the applicant didn't care. He handled it badly.

Show that you know what went wrong, that you learned from it, and that you handled it well. Take responsibility for your part, throw no blame, move on.

I used to fly with a captain who may be one of the few people to lose a wing after takeoff in a multi engine sea plane, and live (no fatalities). I told him he should have put it in a book. He was flying widebody international at the time. A lot of pilots out there have had incidents, mishaps, accidents, violations, etc.

Where it can affect you is the initial screening. Every application will ask about accidents or incidents. Some employers won't give you the chance to explain yourself, as they'll move on to someone else. In those cases, there's little you can do. Keep applying, keep seeking. It's not a career ender, but it is a problem which should be taken seriously.

Thanks for the reply. It was within the past 6 months. I appreciate your advice and candid response. I am hopeful that i'll be back in the plane soon and can move on. Needless to say it been quite a ride (not one i want to do again.)

I've been told by an interview prep company that at least one of the pilots involved in

https://theaviationist.com/2009/02/0...bagram-images/

Has received interview invites from major airlines.

Will your accident set you back? Possibly. Is it a deal ender? Probably not. Time heals most wounds. Be able to explain it, what you've learned etc. and have positive work experience since then. Folks make mistakes and there are plenty of flying jobs out there.

I watched a friend come sliding to a stop when we were both young flight instructors because he forgot to put the gear down.

He was just hired by Delta so it's all in how you handle it.

So you'er saying theres a chance!

I'm trying to stay positive and keep my head up. I really appreciate all of the feedback.

Assuming you were a low-time CFI, this will be a non-event if you handle it correctly. Regionals won't care, and by the time you are ready for the majors you'll have years and thousands of hours of safe turbine experience. Obviously don't make a habit of this kind of thing.

i'Ve had several airline buddies recently get sidelined due to GA incidents/violations which occurred while they were working side jobs or even recreational flying. If you get called for an interview with an open investigation, you're not getting hired. One had to do a plea deal with the FAA because he was getting calls from majors and needed to take his lumps, and start putting water under the bridge rather than drag it out.

I'm at a point right now where I'll tell regional pilots to stay the hell away from GA until they get that legacy job. Too easy for too many things to go wrong in GA.

rick air, I'm actually in the mil and have just under 2 k hours. The investigation is complete and I have 1 yr and 4 months to retirement. Assuming I am able to get back in the plane in a few weeks i should be able to score another 700 hours or so before i retire. Thanks for your reply.

speed150,

Timing is everything in life. Might be a tad more difficult to explain at your experience level, but being in a different environment coukd help mitigate the pain.

GF

Hey there Speed50, I'm in the same boat as you. Im a CFI and recently had an accidental gear up in a light twin. In the process of seeking advice another member who gave me kind words of advice to keep my head up linked me to this page. Get back in the cockpit and keep flying. That is all there is to it. If we are anything alike you probably have far too much pride and money invested to give up now. After my incident as I traced my skid down the runway, I examined my prop slashes in the tarmac I was amazed at how many more there were than just mine. In fact there were hundreds of them. You aren't the first and won't be the last. Don't let it kill your dreams.