QX Story

For JH and Alaska Air Group to admit this publicly some really marginal stuff must have occurred.

 

It was an internal memo that someone thought would be fun to leak to the press, followed up with damage control when media had a field day. I don't agree with your analysis.

 

I have no idea what may or may not have happened at QX, but I left another regional largely because of repeated and ongoing operational safety issues which seemed to be caused by a perfect storm of reduced hiring and training standards, rapid upgrades, plus a touch of generational attitude. I was in fear for employer's long-term viability. This may be an industry-wide issue.

 

I kind of figured it had to be a leak that management had to respond to. Looks like they were at least proactive and didn't let it percolate until it was a scare story.

However, I can tell you one thing that is absolutely true about Alaska Air Group...they are deathly afraid of liability. As an example, in the Navy they have two publications that come out on alternate months...Approach and Naval Aviation News. In both you'll find articles about how guys either messed up or dealt with an aircraft failure. Its called "hangar flying" and it allows you to learn from another pilot's experience.

At the Air Group, they actively keep this kind of information secret (i.e. they don't tell anyone, much less the pilots). There have been issues that would have broader educational value across the airline but the Anglers refuse acknowledge that anything could go wrong.

Line pilots usually found out about these events through the grapevine as opposed to official channels. That's the reason for my initial comment.

 

“He urged the pilot leadership team to sit in the jumpseat whenever possible when flying Horizon so they could point out to the flight crew any mistakes and “remind the pilots to strictly adhere to procedures.”

Does QX have a Manager that’s a current and qualified CA on the Q400? I can’t imagine how that conversation would go when a Jumpseating manager is telling a crew how to fly an airplane they can’t even complete training in. Sounds like superb CRM.

 

We got those magazines in the AF too. I remember Grampaw Pettibone ranting against careless buffoonery.

 

Yeah, the military doesn’t worry much about the PR consequences of getting the word out to the troops:


https://www.military.com/daily-news/...-killed-6.html

 

Media should be applauding the raising of concern prior to an accident.

Edit. After reading the article most of that stuff sans shakers on a plane sounded like the cost of doing business in the airline world.
There will always be lightning strikes, severe T, passengers falling on the ramp, throwers messing up cargo loads and clackers even when the robots takeover.

 

The Empire Strikes Back


https://www.heraldnet.com/business/p...fety-programs/

 

Have a hard time believing this. Not entirely sure if Horizon has a union, but most regional shops do and with that comes a FOQA committee.