BeachWarm

Minior prop strikes with no FAA investigation. Do I report it on job apps? There's no paper trail, and it doesn't fall under NTSB 830. The damage was minor but still required a tear down. It was a Cessna 150 at a back of the woods airport.

B727DRVR

In my humble opinion, don't borrow trouble and risk ruining your career over something stupid...

Think of it this way: How can you PROVE that you actually had this incident? Can you show the interviewer (assuming that you checked "YES" to INCIDENT on the online application and you don't get automatically filtered out due to the "incident" and you actually get to TALK to an interviewer), PROOF that you actually had this incident? Can you show them an FAA LOI? NO. Can you show them an NTSB Accident/Incident Report? NO....

As far as the FAA and NTSB are concerned, THERE WAS NO INCIDENT and to say otherwise would be a lie. Don't get caught lying in an interview about an "incident" that you can't PROVE ever happened?!?!

Again, just my opinion and I wouldn't be so paranoid if everyone weren't against me... LOL.

CaptYoda

Just answer the question that is asked truthfully. You are under no obligation to volunteer information that is not specifically requested.
It's like a FAA oral. While you may have tons of information you can provide the examiner to impress him/her, and in doing so, dig yourself a hole, simply answer the question as asked. If the examiner wants more..........

rmcbear08

I would say getting caught lying is MUCH more damaging to your career than reporting a minor incident and the good lessons you learned from it.

Playing devil's advocate here; just know that it if it ever DOES get out and HR gets wind of it, you're done, not just at that airline but any other airline too. Keep in mind that a lot of applications ask if "you've EVER been involved in an incident/accident, either reported or not?" It would be foolish to lie, especially in today's information age where just about anything can be found out.

And would you ever be REALLY comfortable at that job either? You'll always have that nagging feeling in the back of your mind that it might be discovered that you wern't 100% honest on your application and you'll be fired. Peace of mind is worth a lot.

With the way things are going and the amount of people the airlines are hiring, I don't foresee a minor incident like this being a barrier to entry for you. Just be open, honest and willing to admit that you're not perfect but that you're able to bounce back big when things don't go your way. Any interviewer would love to hear this.

BeachWarm

But is a prop strike really a "incident". Do airlines only want you to say yes to a incident or accident under NTSB 830? What if a rock flew up and hit the prop? It's still a prop strike but I'd hardly consider reporting it to any airline.

B727DRVR

I agree with Yoda and bear that over all, honesty is the best and safest policy. But also, my paranoia, LOL, kicks in and worries that you might NEVER EVEN GET TO TALK TO A REAL PERSON if your app gets automatically filtered out on an online application because you checked YES to an incident. I agree that overall, it is better to have been honest and then explain in person, but what if you never get that chance because you were auto-filtered. Depending what type of flying job you seek, some companies (Corporate, for example) auto-filter out any candidates with Accident, Incident, active L.O.I, Violation, D.W.I, Felonies, Misdemeanors, Checkride Busts, ect. It just depends on what the company you are applying to has their filters set to.

How about a compromise? Try checking "YES" on the online app to the company that you are willing to work for, but least excited to work for, and see what happens. And if/when you actually get to speak with a real person, and they usually ask "is there anything else you want to ask or that we need to know about you", THEN you have your chance to be honest and mention your NON-incident during your TMAAT question... "Well sir/maam, Although it didn't classify as an incident, I wanted to tell you about this one time in a C150 way back when......". If you find that this NON-Incident is holding you up, then it is up to you whether you want to bring up your NON-incident again. Also, I have found that pilots are generally understanding about this sort of thing especially if you tie it into how you learned an important lesson. Human Resources, not so much.

Again, just my opinion and I value the other advice here provided by Yoda and Bear....

Good luck, and let us know what you decided to do and what worked.. Just don't post your real name..

BeachWarm

For what it's worth I was employed by a regional airline 2 years after it happened until I resigned for a non flying job in '13. I never checked yes for a incident and it never came up during my employment.

rmcbear08

Sooo...what was the point of this thread then? It seems like you already have your answer.

B727DRVR

So it sounds like this was a happy ending, then. I say stick with what worked for you before and and I'm glad that according to the FAA and NTSB, you were never involved in any "incident". As long as the owner of the backwater 150/152 is not on any AA, SWA, DAL, UAL, FDX, or UPS hiring boards or HR departments, then you should be golden.

Good luck!

rickair7777

While this is technically not an regulatory "incident", many employers will probably still think you should have answered yes.

If you make it to an interview, this sort of GA incident will not hurt at all, just a harmless conversation piece. The risk of course is checking the box and not getting called, or getting called later than you would have without the incident.

What you really want to avoid is getting hired at a major, and then fired later if they find out. You're out of the game at that point. You could prevent this by NOT checking the box, but then finding a way to bring up the issue at the interview, explaining that you didn't check the box because it didn't meet the regulatory definition. If they send you home, well you still have your old job and you can adjust your tactics for other potential employers. If they still hire you, then problem solved.

I think this comes down to how certain you are that no records exist. Unfortunately, aviation is a small world and even word of mouth can act as a permanent record. If it were me, I'd check the box. Somebody will call.