rpatte1637

So many time I see threads from other pilot on how low time pilot are not ready to handle some of the aircraft that regional airlines have. Accidents happen no matter what your experience level or flight time is. Today's Comair crash was flown by experienced pilot, the captain was with comair since 1999 and the first officer since 2002 according to reports. Who knows, maybe a low time first officer may have caught the error on the ground, may not, but this just shows, any one can make a mistake.

Joshrk22

Give me a break....

rickair7777

You are a fool if you believe this accident vindicates low time pilots. There are hundreds of captains out there right now who are distracted from doing their job the way they should be because they are babysitting some 200 hour wonderboy.

With that being said, complacency kills. I've watched it happen for years in the military and in aviation. As soon as you think your sh*t don't stink, that's when it happens...

freezingflyboy

Oh boy... I guess by that logic we start putting pilots out to pasture after one or two thousand hours and putting brand new 250hr commercial pilots into 121 cockpits? About the only thing you said that bears any resemblance to intelligence is that any one can make a mistake. When you get complacent, life in an airplane gets very dangerous very quickly.

Slice

YGTBSM...all things being equal, I'll take my chances battling complacency first!

flynavyj

The only thing I saw from this is that the mistake could be made by anybody. On the otherside of the same coin, the mistake could have been caught by anybody also.

Being a lowtime pilot who was recently hired into a 121 job, i sincerely hope to not make a mistake of this nature, especially nothing of this magnitude. and at the same time, i hope not to be a major "burden" on any captain.

I wouldn't use this accident however as something to "justify" low minimums, just use it as something to consider and learn from. Just wish the cost hadn't been so high.

Koolaidman

I figure people who have been around longer would be more complacent than new guys, regardless of flight time. If you are intelligent, 600 hours or 1000 hours insn't going to make that big of a difference when it comes down operating an airplane safely. Then again, I haven't been on the other side of the cockpit yet!!

Smooth_Landing

Sometimes the most seasoned attorney screws up in a courtroom and loses a case for his client. However, if it were your ass on the line, would you rather have the seasoned attorney or the new law school grad?

hatetobreakit2u

he didnt say we need to get rid of old time pilots and replace them with low time pilots
all he said is anyone can make a mistake, which is 100% true

personally i do not feel any more qualified to fly a jet at thousands of hours in a ****ty 152 compared to anymore at 250 hours in a ****ty 152, the only thing that will make you feel more comfortable in a jet is by practice in a jet.
if you believe that you need 2000 hours of flight instructin a 152 (thats what it took my old teacher to get hired at in the 80's) before you can be good enough to work for a regional, then you prob shouldnt be flying at all

Sanchez

Wow, some of you guys are just trivial for lack of a better word.

First let's address the topic, "low" or "hi" time... everyone has to be trained to the same standards per the feds. I've flown with both ends of the equation and both can be really good or really bad.

Second, there is this huge misconception that flying checks in the middle of night (no disrespect), or that being an MEI for years will prepare you to be a jet jockey more than just a regular CFI who paid for his multi...not the case, when you get thrown in that training enviroment is all you, flying a Jet is 20% skill and 80% mental, anyone that flies one knows it. Experience will help you navigate around storms better, and will help you deal with certain scenarios better, but at the end of the day it won't prepare you anymore than anyone else for a Jet....unless you've flown one already.

As far as the 250 hour wonders, I believe that MESA in all it's glory (POS contract and POS CEO), is the only carrier accepting them as they have an agreement with the "tool" factory in Farmington, NM. I do believe it takes just a bit more than a multi comm. and a few hours in a FTD.

That being said, once you reach a certain point, there is only so much you can do to prepare for flying in a 121 enviroment.

And by the way, statistically most accidents attributed to human factors were caused by experienced crews in larger carriers....someone say something about complacency?