Hey all, unfortunately I got violated by the FAA. I will give you the brief details of what happened. According to the FSDO I struck a runway light after mistakingly lining up on the runway edge instead of the centerline. It was a hazy dark night , my window was fogged up even though I had the blower on, and I was probably fatigued. I was unaware that I had struck the light or that I had even lined up on the wrong set of lights. I missed the first ten lights and hit the last two according to the report.

I struck one blade on my three bladed prop. I continued the flight and landed at my destination to discover my prop blade was bent. I never had an "Ohhh @#$%" moment, I couldnt afford a lawyer to help me out, I never saw any of the evidence, and got violated.

I know in this economy I'm screwed. But I was just wondering will I ever be able to get a job again??? Will all the airlines automatically reject me from here on out???

Thanks all.

 

What can you do really...other than learn from it. It may be a bit harder to get a job now but the thing is at an interview just be honest, fess up to screwing up, and tell them how you learned from the experience.

 

To the OP you certainly are looking at a long road ahead of you. Questions could be how experienced where you at the time of the incident and are there any other additional factors associated with the incident. Certainly you're gonna be need to be extra squeaky clean from here on out.

You'll most likely will be looking for a low visibility position first. By this I mean 135 freight or aerial survey etc. This is not meant to put down any freight dogs or guys running pipeline, etc, it is merely that jobs like that often times come under less media scrutiny than the airlines should something go wrong again.

It also would be fair to evaluate your other interests that may be a more viable career that would enable you to fly on the side. Its certainly a tough spot and you got some soul searching to do.

Sorry if I couldn't be more help

 

Finding ways to actively improve yourself in light of that event will help you on any future interviews IMO. Get the FAA to let you speak for 15 minutes at the end of a wings seminar on pilot fatigue awareness or runway incursion prevention.

 

Any pics? Curious as to how only one blade was bent...

 

I thought the one blade being bent was kinda odd too. I had some pics just on my cell phone at the time. I deleted them in disgust a few months later.

 

There are fellows with a violation who get hired. Good advice from the posters above. A private pilot with 150 hours who has the problem you did is one thing....a commerical pilot with 1000 hours is another. In either case, assuming no further troubles or violations, and assuming you have a clear background in other respects, and you can articulate in a believable manner what you learned from that incident with all due humility...you're still in the game.

 

you're still in the game. what everyone else said, learn from it and show that in an interview.

i know guys that have landed gear up back in their flight training that just got hired at a major.

 

I knew a guy who got a DUI while employed as an RJ captain. He later got hired at VA so I would say all hope is not lost.

 

I just flew with a guy who buzzed cars in a canyon while ferrying C185, hit a power line, shattered the windscreen, bent the prop and was forced to land on the road with the cars he just buzzed!

Point is, you aren't out of the game. Sign up with the FSDO to be a safety advisor? Join a group that mentors new pilots and speak of your mistake. Learn from it and show you have... and network network network..