Originally Posted by
Lead Balloon
Are you saying, in effect, that those who happen to be flying in the system, when a trainee happens to be behind the mic, just have to wear the consequences of the trainee's lack of competence? The training system allows aircraft to be the subject of ATC decisions that a competent controller wouldn't make?
Yer kidding, surely.
And, I'll make the point a final time: We don't know that in this specific case the trainee was flustered and buggered things up. If s/he was, the report should say that. For all we know, the trainee's supervisor said: Tell him: "'Clearance unavailable'. Ya gotta teach these pop-up nobodies a lesson."
If it was a report about an accident involving a student pilot who was flustered and buggered things up, the report would say that (in modern day euphemisms) and - hopefully - analyse why the instructor did not intervene at the point things started to form the shape of a pear.
Not hard in theory, but sometimes people ask: Why would we be denied a clearance?
I’m surprised this hasn’t been mentioned more, no one expects a trainee controller/pilot to deliver a champagne quality experience - but the training system must be robust enough to ensure a minimum standard of service is consistently delivered.
Looking at the details of this report I’m not entirely sure a clearance through Coffs airspace could’ve changed the tragic situation - but hopefully this will at least start the conversation of making sure the wheels don’t fall off while training.