tortue

Was watching KING 5 news this evening and saw a pax complaining about a missed approach on alaska from ksea->ksna where ga thrust was applied because another a/c was on the active. Can't find a link to it, but it was in the late evening news.

The pax was bawwing about how he thought he was going to die and how he got his cellular phone ready to make some final phone calls.

To add to the comedy, the report played a flight track playback (off the Internet) showing the missed approach as if it was some 24-ish real-time spy satellite.

What annoys me is that I think earlier this year (or last year), the press carried another story where someone going into Newark had a missed approach and the pax was quoted saying something to the effect that he thought he was about to die, etc etc.


Is it too much for alpa or other unions to have a proactive press-handling department to ring up reporters to try to get a story right? Reporters are members of unions too, right? CWA in some cases? Meh, guess it doesn't matter when the name of the game is hype.

JetJock16

It’s all about shock factor for ratings. On every flight, no matter if it’s a 19 seat B1900 or a 747, one or more passengers are always freaking out inside. Whether it’s the sound of the hydraulics or the sound of the engines in turbulence, they are freaking out and thinking they’re going to die. The news media, especially after the recent crashes (CAL in DEN, Colgan, US, FedEx, PC-12 in Montana, Etc), are glad to fuel Joe publics fears as it leads to ratings. And by blowing it out of proportion they are increasing the number of passengers who are overreaching at home and in the back.

Also our industry isn’t the only industry under attack by these ignorant new channels. The Media’s out of control in every way possible and they care about shock factor more than they do accuracy.

It sickens me but these are the times we live in.

tortue

Cant wait for the day when PETA requests airbus drivers to release the dogs underneath whenever there is a single-engine taxi and the PTU is on.

cal73

Another reason to go around and try an shoot for the perfect approach.

I had an approach into KSAT a few years back and we were going to need space between us and an AA landing in front of us. We did some S-turns. Later, during the overnight, I gotta call from the KSAT station manager asking if we were "hot-dogging" flying steep banks close to the ground. I have a feeling a GA would have initiated some complaints also. Sometimes you just have to do your job despite the people you are doing it for.

captjns

Perhaps these voice activated failed actor types who call themselves journalists should realize how many people would have perished if a go around was not initiated.

Blockoutblockin

Two rhetorical questions:
1. Why should I assume the risk of performing S-turns?
2. Don't I get paid by the minute?

shfo

Good thing this passenger wasn't on my flight into SAN when we went around twice, first on a poor vector to final leaving us waaaay high and the second time a brown tail was still on the runway. We could hear the cheers and applause when we touched down on the third attempt.

solinator

Yeah, it's pretty sad that passengers have to complain about pilots doing their job, most of the time not an extreme measure, but a standard procedure to vastly reduce the risk of an accident. I'll be willing to bet some of those complaining were people who do not fly a lot and are not used to some things, like the sounds, the wings bending a little, the plane bouncing on final, the engines pitch going up and down, etc. As a passenger, I've heard others sitting next to me praying, or making comments about how they hope to live after this one (i.e. landing). Big birds, like the 767 feel specially big and the passengers, I speculate, can't believe this big thing flies! More reason to worry for them, I suppose. It's sad that people have to complain about pilots trying to save their lives...