Alligent Pilot Fired for Ordering Evacuation

[200hr Wonder]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/pilot-sues-all ... d=35165366

If you where in his seat do you feel your airline would have your back if you deemed it necessary to evacuate an aircraft? I feel mine would. I can not say if this case warranted it, but as a professional if I decide to get out of dodge I sure hope my company stands up for my actions.

[fish4life]

I have no doubt my airline would have my back. As for him being justified if you are getting smoke in the cabin fire tends not to be far behind, I would rather evacuate and find out I never needed to then no evacuate and kill everyone on board because I should have.

[Meatservo]

Time and again we learn that fatal aircraft fires would only have had a more positive outcome if the crew had reacted decisively at the very first indication of a fire- the VERY first. I can't believe this pilot is being taken to task for making this decision.

I'm pretty sure my company would agree with me. This shows some real ineptitude in the upper ranks- probably non-flying "executive" personnel- who, with not too much imagination, could have turned this into good PR by championing, not censuring, this pilot.

[Illya Kuryakin]

Saw this story a few days ago. I thought it was a joke!

If you feel (for ANY reason) as a captain, to evacuate the aircraft, your word is LAW!!! It has to be. It's the basis of aviation safety. It's grass roots!
Far better to be standing on the ramp thinking "I could have stayed on board.....", than be sitting in a burning aircraft thinking "I really should have bailed....."
No HR department, or armchair quarterback is qualified to second guess this call.
Smoke = GET THE FAAK OFF THE AIRCRAFT!!!!!
Are there any questions? There'd better not be.
He made the CORRECT CALL. My evidence? Everybody's safe and sound.
The stupidity of some people in this industry is mind numbing.
Illya

Just to add to this.....will the next captain with this company, just sit there and cremate his passengers for fear of being fired???? THINKABOUTIT.

[jpilot77]

I think the PR of firing this pilot is far worse than the original incident. I hope he wins his case. But will this register with the traveling public, probably not...

[sanjet]

Another airline on my do not fly list!

[Bede]

I can't believe atc told him not to evacuate?

Was his decision to evacuate correct? I don't know, I don't have all the facts. Was it reasonable? Without a doubt, yes.

I'm confident my airline would have my back.

[oldtimer]

I just finished watching the video and if I were the CEO of Alligiant Airlines, I would be making a huge out of court settlement with that pilot because if the facts reported in the news account are accurate, the airline just may change from AlliGIANT to AlliTENSEWEENSY Airlines. What I took from the news video is that ATC possibly wanted the aircraft to evacuate passengers on a taxiway as opposed to the runway. Allitiny Airlines did not want the FAA to hear about the problem because it would give the FAA another arrow in their quiver when the horse ploppings hits the fan.

[Gannet167]

I think the Alligent crew did very well. I would have done the same thing and there would have been no second guessing my decision. The delayed passenger evac has killed people. British Airtours 28 is a good example. There were a number of factors that caused deaths, but, the 4 page check list that ends with passenger evacuation certainly contributed. If the pilots had known the severity of the problem and done a max effort braking abort on the runway and immediate ground egress, the results may very well have been better. The first 13 minutes of this video are a good takeaway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDzfebL8XfE

[Canoehead]

PWA501 was another accident that almost became fatal because of delayed evacuation.

(Kind of an aside: PWA501 is also a great explanation for why you stay on the runway if there is any need for CFR services to come to the airplane to evaluate or assist)

Better to be judged by one than carried by six.

[tbayav8er]

Perhaps a better company will scoop this guy up now.