Why is it when it comes to aircraft safety that we are always wise after the event?
When you are a passenger on an airliner, you are in effect one of many eyes and ears which crews (both cabin and flightdeck) should make good use of when it comes to monitoring the aircraft.
Quite often, passenger comments are dismissed due to the attitude that they don't know what they are talking about.
In the Ryanair incident, when one of the passengers who observed the collision identified himself as an engineer, the immediate action would have been to at least allow him to talk to the Captain in person. The aircraft should have either returned to stand or remained at the hold while a discussion took place.
Everybody on board an aircraft has equal rights when it comes to self preservation. A Captain has no right what so ever to put any passengers life in danger unnecessarily.
There is no defence of these actions what so ever.
Hiding behind the operational pressure excuse is getting a little tiresome.
A commander of an aeroplane is just that. Once he takes command of a flight then all the responsibilites pertaining to that flight are his. If fearing for his/her job is the top of his priorities then he or she shouldn't be sat there in the first place.
If there is a problem with Company Culture then the hundreds/thousands of crews employed should make a stance to the IAA before the day comes when there is an accident. Then we can all play at wise after the event again.
Coop
Last edited by coopervane; 31st Jul 2012 at 10:13.