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Go Airlines pilots fired after overshooting runway
Two pilots for Hawaii's inter-island airline Go have been fired. Why? Because they overshot a runway during landing.By 15 miles.
The company that owns Go Airlines says the two pilots in the cockpit for that fateful flight between the Hawaiian capital Honolulu and Hilo are out, though they are not releasing their names.
Investigators tell the Associated Press that they are reviewing whether the pilots had fallen asleep in the cockpit during the short flight, which had 40 passengers on board. Apparently air traffic control could not raise them for close to 30 minutes.
The flight ended up landing safely in Hilo. The local pilots union is appealing the firing.
You'll never believe what other crazy stuff the airline industry been involved with lately ...
Filed under: United States, Airlines
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
larry Apr 27th 2008 5:17PM
How in the world could this ruling be fought. They missed the runway by 15 miles. When I learned to fly in 1970,cessna 150 I never did that.
jhawkump May 3rd 2008 8:48AM
It's not Spears...it's your MOTHER!
kay May 3rd 2008 10:56AM
Hawaiians and Kamaainas BEWARE of Go!!!I have been told, (by my Commercial Pilot friends) that Go Airlines minimum requirements for pilots are so low that I (ametuer co-pilot) would be hired to fly their commercial routes! "Go" better wake up, and their pilots too! Hawaii has some of the most challenging weather conditions (sheer, crosswinds, thermals...) you'll find anywhere! Hawaiians and Kamaainas BEWARE of Go!!!
G.L. May 3rd 2008 10:27AM
Airline pilots have one of the most breathtaking jobs on earth, (And you can't forget those fighter jet and Concorde pilots),but a lot of them seem to be so arrogant.
TXPGLV4 May 3rd 2008 10:38AM
i agree with larry. "YOU"RE FIRED" is the best course of action for these pilots.
missing a runway by 15 miles is a bad thing especially when is on an island like hawaii.
these two former Go pilots need to take thier last paycheck buy a plane, move to alaska and become bush pilots so the if they miss the runway they could have pontoons on thier plane so they can land on the water.
BB May 3rd 2008 10:59AM
IT'S NO MYSTERY ... THEY WERE "FOOLIN' AROUND" IN THE COCKPIT. I'VE BEEN FLYING FOR DECADES AND DONE THAT MYSELF ... BUT I NEVER MISSED A RUNWAY
Chuck May 3rd 2008 11:27AM
Go should be GONE!
They got rid of Aloha Airlines with their pricing war and now they need to get rid of themselves!
WAKE UP Hawaiians, Kamaainas and Tourists - it is the consumers who can put this company out of business! Pay a little more for the Quality of Hawaiian Air and get rid of GO! Don't wait because the next flight might crash-land into the sea - Do you want that kind of vacation ? I DON'T THINK SO! The problem is obviously not just the Pilots but the people that hired these idiots - and thats the company! Be GONE go!
lbkinglet@aol.com May 3rd 2008 12:00PM
Of course no one looks at their schedules to see if there might have been a reason both pilots fell asleep on their first flight of the day. Go Airlines runs these people 'til they drop, practically. That puts them in the position of either doing the right thing and calling in as too fatigued, thus risking their jobs no matter what the FAA tells you, or trying to gut it out.
Like most start-up airlines, Go hires pilots with low time and gives them low pay. Pilots only fly them to gain experience, and the younger and more financially desperate the pilot, the less likely he or she is to complain or stand up for what's right regarding working conditions.
NICK May 3rd 2008 12:26PM
they were blinded by their lays, or whatever those flower thingys are.
PATTY May 3rd 2008 12:40PM
OK ALL YOU FLYERS. EVER TRYING FLYING INTO ASPEN. NOW THAT'S A TRIP FROM HELL!
lee May 3rd 2008 12:48PM
you get what you pay for!
Mark E Cantwell May 3rd 2008 12:58PM
15 MILES IS QUITE ABIT OFF I MUST SAY. AND THE UNION HAS STEP IN TO BACK UP THESE PILOTS. THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE A DRIVERS LICENCE. MAYBE FELL A SLEEP...I'D SAY PASSED-OUT !!!!!
Douglas May 3rd 2008 1:55PM
This is surely the stuff of late-night talk show monologues.
The only problem as I see it is that the terminology is incorrect. 'Overshooting' occurs AFTER the plane has touched ground and just keeps on going, beyond the other end of the runway. Maybe there's ice, or there's too much water on the surface, or the reverse thrust doesn't work...any of those.
When airline pilots miss the airport altogether, flying past it because they've taken a nap or having fun with the flight attendants on their laps, and then have to turn around and fly back, technically, that is not overshooting...it's just missing the target. It's probably much worse because this should NEVER occur with competent men in the 'front office'.
BAMA May 3rd 2008 2:22PM
I WANT SOME OF THAT CHIT THEY WERE SMOKING!
~
bruce May 3rd 2008 2:09PM
HOW CHEAP ARE YOU TICKETS WORTH TO YOU NOW? THE AIRLINES TOOK AWAY OUR PENSIONS, REDUCED OUR PAY AND BENEFITS, AND NOW YOU'RE STUCK WITH 400 HOUR PILOTS. BIG WONDER HERE. I RETIRED 11 YEARS EARLIER THAN THE MANDATORY AGE 65 RULE. YOU COULDN'T PAY ME 5 TIMES WHAT I WAS GETTING TO GET BACK INTO THE COCKPIT. LOOK WHO'S FLYING NOW....YUP, THAT'S REAL SAFE.
LOOK ON MY AOL PROFILE.
Glenn May 3rd 2008 2:58PM
So what airport where they originally headed for? Kona and Waimea are far more that 15 mile from Hilo, and unless they were headed for some private airfield (where?) where was the original destination the they "missed"?
Flight Attendant May 7th 2008 4:43PM
Yeah, that's pretty bad, but doesn't address the actual issue.
Airlines use FAA mimimum rest allowances as a scheduling guideline.
For instance, I'm required to work up to 16 hours per day, with a minimum of 8 hours on the ground between flights. That means after working all day, flight crews get 8 hours on the ground before having to be on board their next flight. Let's break it down: (*asterisk denotes time we're paid for)
8:30 am Sign in for trip
9:30 am-9:41 am maintenance delay
9:42 am-9:49 am preboarding
9:50 am-10:01 am ATC delay
*10:02 am-12:32 pm work first flight
12:33 pm-12:40 pm deplaning
12:41 pm-12:43 pm bathroom break
12:44 pm-12:58 pm prepare next plane
12:59 pm-1:11 deplaning
1:12 pm-1:21 pm preboarding
*1:22 pm-2:33 pm work second flight
2:34 pm-2:50 pm deplaning
2:51 pm-2:59 pm Lunch break
3:00 pm-3:17 pm preboarding
*3:18 pm-4:45 pm work third flight
4:46 pm-5:03 pm deplaning
5:04 pm-6:15 pm change planes
6:16 pm-6:33 pm preboarding
*6:34 pm-7:16 pm work fourth flight
7:17 pm-7:29 pm deplaning
7:30 pm-7:33 pm bathroom break
7:34 pm-7:48 pm preboarding
7:49 pm-8:48 pm ATC delay
*8:49 pm-10:07 pm work fifth flight
10:08 pm-10:22 pm deplaning
10:23 pm-10:45 pm wait for hotel van
10:46 pm-11:14 pm travel time to hotel
11:15 pm-11:19 check in, get to room
11:20 pm-12:04 am if there's a restaurant open, eat dinner.
12:05 am-Better get to sleep, airport van leaves at 5:45 am
DAY 1 TOTALS (Midnight to midnight):
Time at work: 15.5 Hours Paid Time: 6:58 (Subsequent days would be like this:
Time at work: 24 Hours Paid Time: 4-8 hours) Now try doing this for 4 or 5 days in a row and see how alert you feel.
There have been many times I've found myself falling asleep in the galley or on the jumpseat. The FAA minimum rest is 8 hours on the GROUND between flights, not 8 hours of sleep. (And that's not counting the "reduced rest" overnights that airlines routinely
assign.) Airlines are using this as a scheduling guideline, basing their schedules on FAA minimums. This should be increased to 12 hours.
Flight Attendant May 7th 2008 4:47PM
Oops I screwed that up, the "12:59 pm-1:11 deplaning" should be "12:59 pm-1:11 pm waiting for connecting bags"