Look folks the offense was because the whole subject was broached because A310Driver when he was bothered by the fact, in fact laughed like it was yet another misrepresentation by the media/tv/faa, when the NTSB investigator said the pilots were "experienced." While we can discuss readiness at various levels of total time all day long how can a public figure in the aviation industry (airline employee, FAA, NTSB, ATC, etc.) ever go on tv and characterize 2 dead pilots (the day of an accident no less) as anything less than qualified and experienced (with 1800 hours in type.) Had the NTSB the day of the crash come out and said that the crew was inexperienced and they were looking into that angle I imagine the outrage in the public (against those dangerous airlines that dare allow 2700 hour CA's to fly a 19 seat plane) would be huge and in the aviation community even larger (when they knowingly realize there are excellent 2700 hour Captains).
How are we any better than the lousy media and arm chair quarterbacks when we as professional pilots who should know better broach this subject the day of a crash? LEAVE THE DISCUSSION OF PILOT ERROR OR INEXPERIENCE leading to a fatal accident out of ANY DISCUSSION surrounding that accident until at least a TINY shred of evidence points to that as the cause. A310Driver ridiculed a RESPONSIBLE NTSB reporter and IMPLIED a potential pilot error when none was even remotely established and that is where the problem stems.
That said I accept his new post where he states he unintentionally came across wrong but then again I humbly disagree with his latest opinion that Capt. Al Haynes would agree with his views of why higher time pilots are so much superior than a 1500 hour pilot and would not have come up with same result he had in the Sioux City crash (I would advocate based on seeing Capt. Haynes speak that he feels young pilots are so much better trained in the concepts of CRM and so much more open to implementing them that it puts them on an early even footing with the advantages that come with great experience.)
Last edited by Saab340Pilot; 11th Jan 2003 at 14:26.