[QUOTE]Yes,fatigue is an issue but at the end of the day,you can refuse a flight if you're too tired.... [Unless you work in the ME]
I dont know what happened in Rostov but I do know that we need to call a worldwide conference right now. It should be chaired by PILOTS and they should at the very minimum include reps of SOUTHWEST, QANTAS, and LUFTHANSA..Top of the agenda should be a refocus on airmanship and stick and rudder. Pilots must be on the board and they must be the right pilots, not yes men. Fatigue and rostering also to be addressed./QUOTE]
Perhaps we are our own worst enemies. Whilst i agree whole heartedly with everything you say, there are other pilots waiting in the wings to fill the vacancies as a result of resignations in airlines all over the world... And the ME airlines know this and use it to their recruitment advantage. But still, good people resign.
We don't know what happened here...yet. Knowing the region of origin of this operator, one suspects they will do everything to deflect the responsibility from themselves. They probably have several statements prepared based on the findings to absolve themselves of any responsibility. Probably the actions right now will be about damage limitation.
I guess one remedy is for every ME airline is to just divert to Tel Aviv when the **** hits the fan, because normal methods of communication are lost on this lot!!!