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When a pilot loses his license - the nasty letter from the FAA
When two Northwest Airlines pilots were screwing around on their laptop computers and overshot Minneapolis airport, most people knew these guys wouldn't be flying any time soon.
Aviation news web site Jetwhine.com managed to snag a copy of the letter the FAA sent to the pilots explaining why their licenses were being revoked. It is a pretty interesting read, though if you are pilot, this is obviously the letter you never ever want to get in your mailbox. The letter is downright brutal, but it does give some very specific details about the decision, and what exactly went wrong.
Filed under: North America, United States, Airlines
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Alex Nov 5th 2009 4:01PM
Haha they actually used the word "frolic"?!
If they did, that's hilarious. You're sure this is real?
gennie Nov 8th 2009 12:19AM
The FAA was right to jerk the license of these 2 pilots but this letter sounds like it was written by a pissed off junior in high school! One with a C average at that!
Are you sure this letter is the real thing?? If it is, and this was written by the body that governs the men that pilot our planes, we are ALL in big trouble!!
Bill Nov 5th 2009 5:36PM
I'm with Alex -- I doubt that "frolic" is in the FAA's official disciplinary lexicon.
Stacey Nov 7th 2009 8:31PM
They may have used to word frolic... if they really wanna insult the pilot. Although, the word may not seem to fit in at first. If you reread it and note the usage of it, it seems to fit better.
Jon Nov 7th 2009 11:37PM
"Frolic of [one's] own" is a legal phrase of art discribing something that an employee did without the consent of the employer, thereby losing the protection of the so-called Master-Servant relationship.
Ray McDermett Nov 7th 2009 8:32PM
Has the two pilots having sex entered anyone's thoughts? What else could control your mind for over an hour and be so disengaged from your duty that it never comes to mind that you could be nearing your destination.
Ace Nov 7th 2009 8:50PM
Um .. having sex? .. I don't know about you but I think the average sexcapade last 30 to 40 minutes, unless your lying, and that's in a nice comfy bed. These guys were in a cocpit, and let's face it, their MEN .. two minutes maybe .. 1 1/2 a half of having sex? They were playing stupid games on facebook is what they were doing.
brkitdwn Nov 8th 2009 12:23AM
based on how avionics work in a modern cockpit, these guys were not messing around on any laptops. if this plane was on auto-pilot, then it had it's destination loaded into the computer. markers, voice and lights sound and adjust based on course and final destination. these guys were asleep, and used the excuse of being distracted on their laptops.
Pam Nov 7th 2009 8:33PM
I think the letter is probably real. It is sad that people have to have baby talk so their little baby feelings don't get hurt. The were goofing off and should lose their license. How would anyone feel if they crashed and lost a family member because they were on a "frolic of their own"? It would have been even better if the FAA could have worked Kittywampus into the letter somehow...
upurs Nov 7th 2009 8:39PM
when the bankers f*cked up they got bonuses and raises...this confuses me....because the rest of us get fired...
Woody Nov 8th 2009 6:08AM
You forget that the banker's had taxpayers to pay their bonuses!
(Some banks will pay us back, however.)
The pilots should be fired.
Brian Nov 7th 2009 8:46PM
As a commercial pilot myself I can without any doubt say these two clowns were sleeping. They can say otherwise but any pilot with experince KNOWS they were.
There is NO WAY 2 pilots could miss multiple ATC calls. They only woke up when the stewardess buzzed them on the inter-plane phone. They got what they deserved.
Mike R Nov 7th 2009 9:32PM
Brian, Is it common for pilots to take naps while flying?
Ron Nov 8th 2009 2:18PM
I haven't heard the word stewardess used by any airline personel in the last 20 years...and inter-plane phone???....buzzed??? But you're probably correct they were sleeping.
booboomack Nov 7th 2009 10:57PM
You are a commercial airline pilot and you call a flight attendant a "stewardess"?
pierre Nov 8th 2009 12:22AM
You must be from the UK or other countries.
We in the US have been calling them "flight attendants" for the last 20 years or more.
gr8bsn Nov 8th 2009 12:26AM
Brian, I'm just a private pilot here but I completely agree with you. I know for a fact that you guys work your butts off to get where you are and then some, so there is no excuse for falling asleep like that. We need more alert pilots like Sully and a lot less like these two jerk-offs. I hope that these two aren't even allowed to throw paper airplanes ever again when the FAA is done with them.
The truth is, it really doesn't matter what these two clowns were up to. Their job is to fly the airplane and nothing else. Some ignorant bozos like to act like this was no big deal, but there's a big difference between checking your Facebook account during a board meeting and not responding to radio calls when hundreds of lives are depending on absolute professionalism and devotion to the task.
Most pilots I've met however, are in fact well trained professionals who take a lot of pride in what they do and take the responsibly that they are charged with seriously.
singingnymph Nov 7th 2009 8:53PM
I fail to see how this is nasty. It's a disciplinary letter & quite civil. As for use of the word "frolic," it would've been nasty if the FAA had instead said "you were f'n around on the computer instead of doing your job." & I wouldn't be surprised if that's what they really wanted to say.
Patrick Nov 7th 2009 8:58PM
I agree Brian, I.m a pilot myself, these two clowns deserve to loose their license.
s Nov 7th 2009 9:02PM
why didnt the attendants check on cockpit every so often to offer coffee or food ? they should be called on the carpet too. As a passenger i think it takes a village to fly a plane for passengers. so there.