I'm afraid this whole scenario brings back memories of almost identical operating conditions and pressures at a now thankfully defunct airline I used to work for. They too did not write up defects, you passed a scrap(s) of paper with them listed to the next guy. Nothing got mended, hazardous faults remained for months. Primary flight instruments did not work properly. Overloading was normal - indeed objecting to it considered a career inhibiting move, minima were numbers written on an approach plate, not on an altimeter, duty hours and days off were fudged, non rated pilots flew and a significant spectacular accident (scheduled AOC with pax) in full public view was not reported to the CAA once they saw the press had not picked it up.
I know for certain the Flight Ops Inspector knew all this and apparently took no action. I'm assured that many have reported these matters over the years yet nothing was ever done as far as I could tell. Any time they were questioned on dodgy or cheeky practices (usually by us) they whined that they were the smallest fish in the pond and they needed to be cut some slack or the bigger fish would have them for breakfast. They used that one regularly to excuse any deviation from the legal or normal. I noted with wry amusement that the fish that finally did swallow them choked soon after.
The CAA is utterly worthless when it comes to compliance and enforcement. When I reported this to the FOI he refused to speak to me on record and thus excused himself from taking any action but warned me (though it sounded more like a threat at the time) that if I foolishly chose to make an official complaint I'd inevitably a) not be believed and b) never find work in aviation again. If the FOI is in on it what chance of any report getting actioned? The CAA subsequently knew in full and documented detail well before that august gentleman's (scheduled) retirement a few months later yet still nothing was done. The chairman of an august and universally trusted safety organisation said that this was amongst the worst such example he'd ever seen and that he'd had several similar on the same company. How can this be in a modern "civilised" N European country?
Fifteen years later I was still hearing identical tales to mine from some of my FOs so it was evidently never stopped - 20 ton aircraft being ferried single pilot etc. The reluctance to write up defects and carry them for months was evidently still there too.
Sadly I have to say that LEA featured in such night malaga FO's horror stories just as much as my old outfit did so this thread hardly comes as a surprise.
Rien plus ça change.
It seems it takes a body count to do that, and evidently a fare paying pax's body too rather than mere crew.
Last edited by noflynomore; 22nd Oct 2016 at 10:27.