You asked me a direct question, read the last line of your post, so I responded. The examples listed are private issues that have the be dealt with on the pilots end. If he can't then he needs to find another job. If it's one or two times then he can simply call fatigued. You wrote it in support of the fatigue issue I said it's poor responsibility on the pilots part if that happens.

Yes I still believe that playing the fatigue card on day 1 is pretty weak. I didn't say it was impossible. I said it was a little hard. It's always possible to get fatigued but it better be a day of hellfire and brimstone for it to happen on day 1. If someone shows up to work fully rested your example shouldn't pose a problem. Agree to have our differing opinions then. Fatigue card on day one is a weak play and ruins it's credibility.

Pay by the duty hour is a great Idea. I somehow dont think it would have stopped this accident though. I am all about getting paid by the duty hour, then maybe we'd have some respectible schedules...

2 problems when you have a system of self declaration of fatigue:

1) If you are fatigued, your judgment is impaired, so are you making the right call? Kinda like having the drunk decide if he's had too much to drink.

2) I might be fine prior to pushback, but how am I going to feel in 6-8-10 hours when it counts?

And we've got to decouple pay from safety related cancellations. A few years ago Valujet flew a 9 into a thunderstorm and totaled it, lucky to get it back on the ground. Radar hadn't worked for weeks, but if you turned the jet down, they docked your pay.

I recently landed a 737 in ATl with a a gusty quartering tail wind. Everything was normal from the cockpit perspective. Till the flairand landing. Plain would not settle, it was like I was 20 KIAS fast. Gain sheer is the only thing I can come up with. It was 0600 after a redeye. So do I accept a long landing or go around? I accepted a longer landing, grooved runway no rain ETC. Had this been what the AA guys were dealing with would have gone a around. Tower told us the plane infront of us reported sheer but not what kind. What happened to me came as a complete surprise and with 17 years expirience have never seen the like. You throw in weather, a long day, pushing to get to the hotel to sleep, runway surface conditions this could bite the best of pilots. There but for the gace of god go I. Next time I go around!

At this stage of the investigation, we have no reason to say anyone was fatigued or that it had anything to do with the accident.

For all we know, the crew acted perfectly and heroically.

Let's figure out WHAT happened first, then figure out why.

Leaping to the "fatigue" excuse is automatically assuming the crew was at fault. Why would any of us be ready to do that at this stage?

Don't know but the union didn't have any problems shouting it right away.