Comair Pilot of 5191 wants to return
 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23490496/

just getting your opinions

"Moore [the attorney] said he believes Polehinke's license has expired."

Well, there's a great lawyer for ya. Remind me to get this guy next time I'm involved in an aviation-related lawsuit.

He has tenacity, that's for sure.

I think they have pills for that now.

With brain damage I would say going up in a small plane with a flight instructor would be possible. Beyond that, looks doubtful.

That would be really cool if he got to come fly again for us. Hope he can get his medical back. He's about number 4 on the FO seniority list too. So he probably wouldn't complain too much about what kind of line he can have.

Aren't you are thinking of "hope"?

At least there are certain mistakes he wont be making again...

I think it's great, I hope he makes it back and I wish him the best.

Didn't he lose his leg? Can you get your medical back with prosthetics?

Just curious.

Just remember, you're just as prone to make a fatal mistake as the next guy.... riddler or not

Respectfully,
Tomcat

Yes. We have a captain at Eagle with a prosthetic leg.

Yes you can.... You have to get a SODA, but if you can use the pedals just fine, there should be no problem.

Yeah, real respectfully :rolleyes:

It needed to be said. The original poster had the same amount of sarcasm.

Yeah I agree... but dont let another bad attitude from riddle speak for all of us.

Anybody ever fly or train with him? I hope he does make it back. It'd be a much needed turning point for the FAA in terms of Medical Flight Standards.

There are a few guys at comair with prosthetic legs. I wish him the best, but i don't see it happening.

I think the brain injury issue would be a much bigger hold-up for him than a prosthetic leg. Sounds like he has limited function in his remaining leg as well. I hope he gets a shot, but brain injuries are real hard to overcome I believe.

If I am not mistaken, the FO on that FedEx plane where the crew was attacked by the jumpseater had a brain injury - i believe he has lost his medical forever - can't even do the light sport thing in an LSA.

Good luck to him!

I certainly wish him the best of luck... What he's been through is every pilot's worst nightmare.

Agreed, but I doubt any informed passenger wants to roll the dice on this pilot again. You can not discount the severity of the errors that flight crew made on that morning, or the extreme liability any air carrier presents by allowing him to operate another passenger flight. Given a 100% recovery - I could not/would not endorse his desire to return to passenger operations.

I don't claim super-human invincibility, or above average airmanship - nor does anyone argue the character of the pilots involved. We have to be realistic though.

From one airline pilot to another I wish him the best of luck, and he may be blessed to have survived. May we all be lucky enough that we never share a similar fate.

I met Jim Polehinke a couple of months ago. He's a very nice guy. I applaud him for the courageous fight that he is putting up in his physical and emotional recovery. It's easy to sit behind a keyboard and pick someone apart. A dose of humility in this business goes a long way. I can think of several accidents over the years that could have as easily been any one of us. Whether you're a high time pilot, low time, military, civilian, your currently flying fighters, or at the regionals, the majors, in a corporate outfit, a flight instructor or just flying around for fun, we can all have something reach up and bite us. We are all capable of making that one fatal error. If you truly believe that you're not, perhaps it's time to get out of this business.

Probably like the rest of you, I hope to fly a long career without putting so much as a scratch on one of my pax or a dent in an airframe. I start every rotation by asking the pilot that I'm flying with to please speak up if I'm doing something out of the ordinary or if I missed something. It never hurts to make a second call to ATC if either of us has even the slightest question regarding a clearance. You're not going to hurt my feelings.

Jim, God Bless you and I pray for your speedy recovery.

With much Respect,
Tomcat

I somehow knew someone would say something like this. While I think everyone will agree it was a pretty dumb mistake that had a very catastrophic outcome, I really don't think this was a necessary comment. As well, his counterpart, who wasn't as lucky, also missed the cues that something was wrong. While I do agree that the passengers wouldn't knowingly roll the dice, I doubt many of them would be any happier knowing that their captain had just met the ATP mins and upgraded, or that their FO had 250 hours and was on his first IOE flight. Honestly, I can see both sides of this issue, but either way, as a person, I wish him the best of luck in overcoming the medical issues. That will be what gets him. If Comair still has him on the seniority list and payroll, he hasn't been terminated, so the medical may be what holds him back. He has quite a challenge ahead of him.

He deserves nothing. He is in part responsible for the death of 49 people. Saying he wants to fly for the airline again is crazy, who of you would want to fly on his plane, how about as a Capt.

I feel for the families of the 49 who died that morning, not this guy.

What if a doctor made a mistake and killed 49, would we want him in the O.R. again?

How about a bus driver who crashed a bus that killed 49?

It is easy for us pilots to have empathy towards a fellow pilot. However, everyday we are trusted with human lives. People blindly board our planes hoping the two pilots up front know what they are doing, it is complete trust in the system. To violate that trust like this accident deserves no second chance, the victims have no second chance.

this is going to get ugly...

Soooo....He deserves nothing. Hmmmm.

There but for the grace of God go you. (even though I don't believe in God the expression is still useful)

I've heard the ATC tapes and seen the simulation. I have come to conclude the controller did a lousy job of ground control. His phraseology was not helpful and could have gone a long way to prevent this accident. Sure the pilots are ultimately responsible. Sure if they had bugged the heading on the NAV display they may have noticed the error. I wonder who gave them IOE? I know from my experience, at the regionals I flew for, the instructors were some of our worst pilots. Brown nosers usually ended up getting the instructor positions. My experience has been better at the majors.

My point is, there is plenty of blame to go around. He made a mistake with devastating consequences. He will live with the physical and mental consequences for the rest of his life. I'm willing to bet he won't make that mistake again. Perhaps he will be the safest pilot out there. If he can get medically re-certified and re-qualify, he should be allowed to fly.

Good luck to him.

Don't worry, I wish no ill will towards you about this thoughtless, uncalled for comment. I'd be willing to bet you'd be singing a different tune if you were in his shoes. I can only hope to be half the aviator you are.

You are a TROLL

FYI the INSTRUCTORS at COMAIR are TOP NOTCH and I think are amongst the best in the industry

It's not a matter of sympathy just because he's a pilot. We all make errors as pilots. Unfortunately for this guy, all the holes in the cheese lined up. Not so with most of the errors though.

While I won't say that I believe he'll never make the mistake again, I'll be bold enough to say that we'll make the mistake before he does.

Keep this in mind the next time the guy you're flying with catches where you mis-positioned the flaps or trim for take-off or read back the wrong altitude or programmed a crossing restriction incorrectly. I hope you're every bit as hard on yourself and then decide that you have no business in aviation.

Perhaps you're much like the fellow I flew with years ago that told me that he had never made a mistake with regard to aviation. An hour later he tried to penetrate a squall line with tops up to 60K feet where the radar showed the most narrow line of red (or radar attenuation). He was a 25 year old new Captain at a fractional Ownership company and a graduate from a prestegious aviation university.

It's all about "error management" and just the fact that we all realize we are human and prone to errors is a solid start in the right direction.

I'm sure you're a joy to fly with.

Tomcat

Of course not. When was the last time a doctor treated 49 patients at the same time? I don't think this is a valid comparison.

Best of luck to him in accomplishing what he desires, it will however, be a long and painful road to get back there.

I'd wonder (for myself) if i'd have the same desire. To fly again, yes, i could understand that, but to know what my last flight was like in an airliner, and to think of strapping in again, to do the same "routine" thing over and over again, would definitely be a headjob.

Personally i know it could have been any one of us who could have made the same blanketed mistake, any one of us could be ostracized for violating sterile cockpit, sometimes with talk that you might consider "necessary" however, the Feds may not have, i dunno.

Fly safe.

Glad to hear it. That was not my experience but I was at the regionals 15 year ago.

I think my point is understanding the great responsibiity we have with our passengers. If a doctor messes up he only risks the life of one, pilots risk the life of many.

I have a friend from the Navy that was flying at night in an F-4 over the Sea of Japan. He had his O2 Mask hanging from one side of the helmet, as almost all of us did during cruise, which is a violation of SOP or NATOPS. The cockpit had a slow depressurization and he passed out. The F-4 gradually pitched over and increased from 250 kias to 450 kias, all the while the back-seater (RIO) continued to challenge the pilot. Finally the RIO had no choice but to eject them both. My friend suffered compound fractures in all his extremities (bone thru skin) and managed to survive. The odd thing was that the Search and Rescue Helo found him in his raft, radio in hand, strobe light on top of his helmet and turned on and flares pulled out of his vest. He remembers none of it to this day. The RIO got out with minor injuries, which is nearly a miracle at that speed.

After two years at Bethesda Naval Hospital and much Rehab he showed up to Miramar to go through F-14 training. He was the class leader for my initial training in the Tomcat. He went on to serve another full tour in the Navy. Now my friend is a Captain at American Airlines. I always had a lot of respect for him getting back in the saddle and flying off the carrier again. Point is, it can be done!

You make many assumptions about me, unwarrated at that. My post was in regards to the responsibility we have as pilots in ensuring the safety of our passengers. Never did I claim to be "super pilot" and error proof. Nor do I have any ill will towards the pilot, I wish him nothing but the best and, if possible, many hours flying for the rest of his life. I do however feel that a continued 121 career is not the best.

I appreciate you story about the "guy you once flew with," but it has nothing to do with me. We are all accountable for our actions in the air and on the ground, "prestigious aviation university" or not. As a matter of fact, I would think someone with your aviation experience would be a little more mature with your argument. "I'm sure you are a joy to fly with." Sir, you know nothing about me nor what it is like to fly with me. I will take that remark at your attempt and failure to have a pithy one liner at the end of your post.

Google medical mistakes per year and the result may amaze you. They did me. The numbers range from 5000 to 195000 deaths per year! :eek:

I'd say pilots are doing a pretty good job. And, maybe out congress should investigate those numbers and stay out of baseball.

Colgan is hiring.

I would love to see how much money is being spent on the baseball hearings. All the issues we have and look and what we are doing, seems like a huge waste of resources to me.