SKSFLYER777 said:
"In recent years, don't know if they still are, but suspect it is so...... AA trains pilots to "hit" cities with computer based video flight checkouts. I think Tegucigalpa might be the only city they still actually physically check out a pilot to fly to and perhaps the V-Nav approach to Eagle."
I had occasion to speak with one of the AA 757 pilots who was involved in developing AA's JAC 757 IOC, including the computer stuff, about 1990. As you said, American treated their mountain airports, JAC, EGE with physical checkouts and special simulator training. This incident at JAC with the 757 is the first in 20 years, after thousands of flights. I believe an AA MD80 went off the JAC runway in the late 80’s.
In speaking with UA pilots on the other hand, they did not/do not receive a physical checkout. I don't know about DL, Skywest or in the past CO, NW, Mesa, Western, Rocky Mountain, Frontier(old/new), or the USAF.
In my opinion, JAC can be as tough as any AK airport including Juneau, Ketchikan, and Sitka. I believe Alaska Airlines has separate requirements for pilots flying southeast Alaska. At least one MD80, 737, A320, CRJ700, and now the first 757 have gone off the runway at JAC.
JAC has had way too many airline, business, military and, not to mention private incidents/accidents compared to southeast Alaska Airline's airports.
In my opinion, insufficient training, respect for mountain flying by the airlines, bureaucrats, business jet owners and last but not least pilots are the culprits here.