Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

pilot sentenced for being drunk

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web
Sunlitpath,
While I understand and respect your position on pilots flying impaired; I disagree with your approach to this argument. Unfortunately your mild attempt at labeling, generalizing and your comments which are obviously contemptable towards "corporate pilots", I've had to dismiss you as the kind of guy who starts his briefing in flight operations with "I fly by the book..."
The world is grey here, sunlitpath. Choose the path of the professional airmen and have a discussion with another professional; man-to-man. Or option B: make a call to the chief pilots office, play the part of the company man and destroy someones career in the process.
While I do agree that flying in an impaired state is one of the least professional actions this First Officer could take and is indeed deserving of harsh punishment; let the facts be clear... the F/O was the pilot flying on a leg from AUS-DEN and the flight operated normally and safely. The Captain saw nothing in the First Officers flying ability or cockpit behavior that indicated intoxication. Merely a "whiff of something" that smelled like alcohol.
Does that sound like the kind of indications that warrant a call to the CP? I would suggest they are the kind of markers more worthy of a candid talk man-to-man.
And as a former "121 guy" I'm a little ashamed of your generalization of the corporate world. Plenty of the skilled crew in the corporate world were at one point very dedicated -121 crew.
And it wasn't drinking a beer and flying that landed most of them here... it was taking a gamble on a better life where pay, benefits and life/work balance was better than the scheduled air carrier world.
BTW- We don't fly a CJ and I've never flown ricky bobby to taladega. We're in SLC today and go to LGA tomorrow. Hope we don't get frightened by all those "121 operators" acting so professionally and flying so proficiently. Wake up sunlitsky; we're all professionals and we all play by the same rules.
Our company has a .02 alcohol policy- what does your company say?
 
It comes down to judgement. Captains have to make judgements about everything that occurs in and around the aircraft, as well as everything regarding its operation. The entire culture of safety is greatly compromised if the Captain's judgement is faulty. We are specifically trained, encouraged, and required to err on the conservative side of safety related issues. These values have to be lived and exercised. They are no good on paper alone. The Captain in this case being discussed made a judgement that the FO was acting as a required crewmember while under the influence of alcohol. His judgement was correct; the FO was legally drunk. He has no way of knowing if the FOs blood alcohol concentration is .01 or .11 . He decided to let management handle the investigation. A so-called "man to man talk" would not have discovered this fact. The FO may have gone to his next flight and operated intoxicated again, he already did it once. You or I may have handled this situation differently, depending on the circumstances. That's fine. Each Captain has to live with his decisions. Captains who are too cowardly to report gross negligence, when it becomes necessary, create a hazardous environment for the aviation community. Of course we shouldn't go tattle tale to management for every little issue; however, certain issues require and mandate coordination with management and the appropriate authorities. The Captain made a judgement and it was sound. The Captain calling the chief pilot did not wreck the FOs career. If the FO had 0% BAC, he would have gone to his next flight and continued his career. I do admire the reluctance of many pilots to call the chief pilot regarding a fellow pilot. I share this sentiment. However, some issues require management notification. It's not an easy decision. It's a judgement each of us must make.
 
Last edited:
A friendly, "you smell sick" would've made this all irrelevant.

Friendly? Irrelevant? There is nothing friendly about someone who would put anyone in the very relevant position in which the FO put that captain.

The captain is not the guilty party here.
 
Last edited:

Latest resources

Back
Top