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-   -   United struck a light pole (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/united/152931-united-struck-light-pole.html)

ugleeual 05-08-2026 05:31 AM


Originally Posted by Vito (Post 4033347)
everyone has their own personal limits..

here we go again… it isn’t about personal limits or confidence levels… it’s about risk management and doing what’s smart for the circumstances… no chest thumping even allowed in the equation… just because you can doesn’t mean you do it.

Of course we are all trained at United to fly it… but unless an emergency makes it absolutely necessary I won’t be doing it on a WB plane I’m CA on… other CAs can do whatever they want. If the Threat forward discussion is done properly prior to descent then the same decision should probably be made… not worth the risk “IF” other options available at EWR.

JamesNoBrakes 05-08-2026 09:12 AM


Originally Posted by ugleeual (Post 4033358)
here we go again… it isn’t about personal limits or confidence levels… it’s about risk management and doing what’s smart for the circumstances… no chest thumping even allowed in the equation… just because you can doesn’t mean you do it.

Of course we are all trained at United to fly it… but unless an emergency makes it absolutely necessary I won’t be doing it on a WB plane I’m CA on… other CAs can do whatever they want. If the Threat forward discussion is done properly prior to descent then the same decision should probably be made… not worth the risk “IF” other options available at EWR.

i was playing Kenny Loggins in my head when I read this.

11atsomto 05-08-2026 10:24 AM


Originally Posted by ugleeual (Post 4033358)
here we go again… it isn’t about personal limits or confidence levels… it’s about risk management and doing what’s smart for the circumstances… no chest thumping even allowed in the equation… just because you can doesn’t mean you do it.

Of course we are all trained at United to fly it… but unless an emergency makes it absolutely necessary I won’t be doing it on a WB plane I’m CA on… other CAs can do whatever they want. If the Threat forward discussion is done properly prior to descent then the same decision should probably be made… not worth the risk “IF” other options available at EWR.


Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes (Post 4033433)
i was playing Kenny Loggins in my head when I read this.

You know ......looking at my lanyard I have this blue/yellow card attached to it, on the yellow side it says: Discuss threats First; Personal? Environmental? Technical?..........which Ugleual's technique of avoiding 29 if his callsign includes heavy is a great example of filtering the current flights circumstances through a layer of threats be they personal, environmental or technical.

The narrative of some here seems to be that NO threats ever exist for any approach, as long as its line selectable and its on there ATIS well (kind of like the 91 guys who can legally take off in 0 and 0, does it mean they should do it)....which is strange to hear.......you see if I had an Indian Rupee for every time I heard a United callsign request the ILS in place of the RNP that hey had just been issued........ which usually is just a result of people not being situationally aware to correlate that it is very foreseeable if not probable since their STAR terminates in a downwind...they have briefed the wrong approach and in order to do so now workload would increase at a critical time...........but see that still is TEM, albeit a an error not a threat.

sl0wr0ll3r 05-08-2026 10:29 AM


Originally Posted by ugleeual (Post 4033358)
here we go again… it isn’t about personal limits or confidence levels… it’s about risk management and doing what’s smart for the circumstances… no chest thumping even allowed in the equation… just because you can doesn’t mean you do it.

Of course we are all trained at United to fly it… but unless an emergency makes it absolutely necessary I won’t be doing it on a WB plane I’m CA on… other CAs can do whatever they want. If the Threat forward discussion is done properly prior to descent then the same decision should probably be made… not worth the risk “IF” other options available at EWR.

Well said! Probably everyone involved in events like the EWR accident believed, until things went wrong, that they were up to the task. For all on this thread exuding confidence and even bravado, remember aviation’s ability to humble and kill. We’re paid to mitigate and minimize risks, not demonstrate our prowess while taking unnecessary risks.

I’m not saying this to castigate the EWR crew, as I wasn’t there and I’m not privy to all the facts. But this discussion should center on conservative decision making with a little humility sprinkled in.

METO Guido 05-08-2026 10:54 AM


Originally Posted by 11atsomto (Post 4033452)
You know ......looking at my lanyard I have this blue/yellow card attached to it, on the yellow side it says: Discuss threats First; Personal? Environmental? Technical?..........which Ugleual's technique of avoiding 29 if his callsign includes heavy is a great example of filtering the current flights circumstances through a layer of threats be they personal, environmental or technical.

The narrative of some here seems to be that NO threats ever exist for any approach, as long as its line selectable and its on there ATIS well (kind of like the 91 guys who can legally take off in 0 and 0, does it mean they should do it)....which is strange to hear.......you see if I had an Indian Rupee for every time I heard a United callsign request the ILS in place of the RNP that hey had just been issued........ which usually is just a result of people not being situationally aware to correlate that it is very foreseeable if not probable since their STAR terminates in a downwind...they have briefed the wrong approach and in order to do so now workload would increase at a critical time...........but see that still is TEM, albeit a an error not a threat.

Happens all the time, for reasons both foreseeable in hindsight and not. AA rushing to get down for a no time to spare RW change at Cali for example. Experienced crews can & do fall behind the path sometimes. Tough lesson. Unnerving for more than a few line dogs most definitely. Oh look, here comes light pole Larry:(

John Carr 05-08-2026 10:55 AM


Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes (Post 4033433)
i was playing Kenny Loggins in my head when I read this.

“I’ll fire when I’m g0d@mn good and ready!!!!!!”

dmeg13021 05-08-2026 11:04 AM


Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes (Post 4033433)
i was playing Kenny Loggins in my head when I read this.

"If time has taught me anything, you've got to learn to be the ball"

-"I'm Going All the Way", theme from Caddyshack 2

GPullR 05-08-2026 11:34 AM


Originally Posted by ugleeual (Post 4033358)
here we go again… it isn’t about personal limits or confidence levels… it’s about risk management and doing what’s smart for the circumstances… no chest thumping even allowed in the equation… just because you can doesn’t mean you do it.

Of course we are all trained at United to fly it… but unless an emergency makes it absolutely necessary I won’t be doing it on a WB plane I’m CA on… other CAs can do whatever they want. If the Threat forward discussion is done properly prior to descent then the same decision should probably be made… not worth the risk “IF” other options available at EWR.

So tell me why its so much more difficult in a heavy again.............

jdavk 05-08-2026 11:53 AM


Originally Posted by ugleeual (Post 4033358)
I won’t be doing it on a WB plane I’m CA on… other CAs can do whatever they want.

If given the choice between circling to 29 in a Triple or a 737 I’m taking the Triple every time. Much less stress in an airplane with slower approach speeds and amazing stopping power.

ugleeual 05-08-2026 12:41 PM


Originally Posted by GPullR (Post 4033477)
So tell me why its so much more difficult in a heavy again.............

‘maybe one day you’ll get to figure it out yourself…


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