In this Final Blog post I am looking at examples of unprofessionalism
displayed by the pilots, airline operators, and the FAA.
I first would like to visit two accidents where the
pilots and the airline itself were examined in determining the probably cause
and contributing factors for today’s accidents involving a lack of
professionalism.
Next, I’ll take a look at a more recent accident where
the FAA was cited as one of the contributing factors that lead to a fatal crash.
Finally, I will provide some examples of how I plan on
maintaining and expanding my own professionalism as I progress in my aviation career.
The first aircraft accident
I want to examine is a popular one among the aviation industry. Colgan Air
flight 3407 was on an approach into Buffalo, New York when the aircraft’s
captain made incorrect flight control responses to the aircraft’s flight
situation that consequently led to an unrecoverable aerodynamic stall (National
Transportation Safety Board, 2010). The National Transportation Safety Board
(NTSB) cited that the crew’s failure to maintain a sterile cockpit, the captain’s
failure to safety manage the flight, and Colgan Air’s poor procedures for
airspeed management during icy approaches were all contributing factors in the
accident (NTSB, 2010).
The issues with this accident
lie not only with the pilots but also with the airline’s procedures. Colgan Air
had little policies on pilot’s duty time and commuting procedures that would
restrict pilots from long commutes before flights. The first officer was not
only commuting halfway around the country to make it to the gate that morning,
but she was also feeling ill before the accident flight. Both the airline’s policies
and the pilot’s decision to accept the flight are examples of a lack of professionalism
and certainly contributed to the outcome of Colgan Air flight 3407.
From a management stand
point, Colgan Air was experiencing extreme
growth in its operations and did a poor job in managing its growth with the
little recourses it had. Additionally, the airline did not enforce any specific
commuting or duty-time restrictions for its pilots and continued to accept low
time, inexperienced, pilots into their already small and overwhelmed
operations. The relations made between Colgan's CEO and the FAA also had some
feelings of unprofessionalism as the CEO was quoted as being "a friend of
the office" by the FAA's office manager. This
growth, along with the personal relationships between airline officials and
government employees, is another example of the lack of professionalism from
both the airline and on behalf of the federal government.
Another aviation accident involving the crash of Pinnacle Airlines
flight 3701 provides us with more issues of professionalism in the cockpit. In
2004, Pinnacle Airlines flight 3701 was dispatched as a repositioning flight
from Arkansas to Minnesota when both engines flamed out following a
pilot-induced stall and the pilots were not able to restart the engines (NTSB,
2007). During the flight the pilots decided to deviate from several standard operating
procedures and “have a little fun” as stated by the NTSB (“Professionalism in
Aviation,” 2011, p. 26). As a result, the NTSB determined that “the pilots’
unprofessional behavior, deviation from standard operating procedures, and poor
airmanship, which resulted in an in-flight emergency from which they were
unable to recover” (“Professionalism in Aviation,” 2011, p. 27).
In the case of flight 3701 the NTSB recognized the mistakes
and unprofessionalism of the pilot’s decisions and therefore cited such
information as a probable cause. In this final accident, we’ll take a look at
an crash where the NTSB specifically calls out the FAA’s inactions as being one
of the probable cause.
ExecuFlight flight 1526, a Part 135 on-demand charter
operation, stalled during an approach into Akron Ohio on a non-precision
approach which was flown, in an unstabilized manner, below the MDA without any
visual of the runway (Aarons, 2016). The approach led to a completely fatal
accident. The NTSB stated that the probable cause of the accident was “the
flight crew’s mismanagement of the approach and multiple deviations from
company SOPs” (Aarons, 2016, para.3). However, what I would like to focus on
with this situation was one particular contributing factor pointed out by the
NTSB.
The NTSB cited the FAA as one of the probable causes
because of its “insufficient oversight of the company’s training program and
flight operations” (Aarons, 2016, para. 3). However, the NTSB doesn’t stop
there, they further state in the accident report that “the FAA failed to
provide adequate oversight of ExecuFlight’s pilot training, maintenance, and
operations” Aarons, 2016, para. 24). Furthermore, the NTSB believes that
“this
accident again shows that FAA guidance for principal operations inspectors
regarding conducting Part 135 pilot-in-command line checks on flights other
than in regular revenue service is not effective in identifying pilots who are
not complying with standard operating procedures… The FAA’s Surveillance
Priority Index was ineffective in identifying 14 CFR Part 135 operators in need
of increased surveillance” (Aaron, 2016, para. 24).
From the report, we can see that the
pilots, the company, and the FAA were all listed as probable causes and
contributing factors in the crash of ExecuFlight flight 1526. It is not very common
for a government agency (NTSB) to cite, what some would call, unprofessional actions
against another government agency (FAA). However, the lack of oversight from
the FAA into this particular Part 135 operator and its procedures is a clear
sign of a lack of professionalism within the FAA.
As I move forward in my career as a
professional aviator I will strive to remain professional within all operations
of the job. To ensure that I do so, I
think it's important to put safety of the crew and the passengers above all
else, no matter the consequences. Furthermore, I plan to find a mentor of sorts
once I have begun to establish myself in the airline industry. Having someone
who has excellent experience in the industry, who can provide invaluable
information and share his/her experiences with me would certainly help in
maintaining professionalism within the industry.
References
Aarons, R. N. (2016). Approach Stall in Akron. Business & Commercial Aviation.
National Transportation Safety Board. (2007, Jan. 9). Board Meeting: Crash of Pinnacle Airlines
Flight 3701, Bombardier CL-600-2B19, N8396A, Jefferson City, Missouri, October
14, 2004. Retrieved from http://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/Pages/Crash_of_Pinnacle_Airlines_Flight_3701_Bombardier_CL-600-2B19_N8396A_Jefferson_City_Missouri_October_14_2004.aspx
National
Transportation Safety Board. (2010, Feb. 2). Loss of Control on Approach, Colgan Air, Inc., Operating as Continental
Connection Flight 3407, Bombardier DHC 8 400, N200WQ. Retrieved from http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AAR1001.aspx
Sumwalt.
R. L. (2011, Mar. 30). Professionalism in
Aviation. Retrieved from http://www.ntsb.gov/news/speeches/rsumwalt/Documents/Sumwalt_033011.pdf
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