Get what you pay for

[speedbird23]

VTR seen recently minnus an engine. Engineers said that the pilot took off with the baggage door open, bags fell out and went through the prop. Believe the aicraft is operated by the very reputable D*&^ct Air. Apparently the client was a very lucrative one on the Tiwi Ilsands that they undercut another company to get. Between you and me, I would be willing to pay a few bucks more to make sure the pilots locks all the doors. All will be fine, with there SBP leading the way, these guys have no trouble telling everyone how good they are

[rmcdonal]

I don’t think the extra few $ would have made any difference. Leaving the door unlocked is just a mistake that anyone could make (touch wood), same as leaving the Pitot cover on, or forgetting to undo the tie downs. All are very bad airmanship, but they all happen regularly. I have a fear of the nose locker door coming undone and flying through my windshield so I double check it every time. :eek: :rolleyes: :(

[Howard Hughes]

I agree with rmcdonal, anyone could make these simple mistakes, I would also add that they tend to be related to experience rather than standards of pay.

Very early in my career I had a nose gear door open just after take off with a very high ranking magistrate on board, no damage done although it did frighten the ****e out of both of us, lets just say I have taken action to see it never happen again!!
Even though I have now made it to a position where people close the doors for me, it is still a vital part of my pre departure routine.

A word of advice to up and comers, try learning from others mistakes rather than having to make them all yourself.

Cheers, HH.:ok:

[Continental-520]

VTR seen recently minnus an engine. Engineers said that the pilot took off with the baggage door open, bags fell out and went through the prop. Believe the aicraft is operated by the very reputable D*&^ct Air. Apparently the client was a very lucrative one on the Tiwi Ilsands that they undercut another company to get. Between you and me, I would be willing to pay a few bucks more to make sure the pilots locks all the doors. All will be fine, with there SBP leading the way, these guys have no trouble telling everyone how good they are

Yet another strong opinion based on a minimum of insight. Yay! Add that one to the tally.

Mate, before you start just plainly slagging off and finger pointing, perhaps you ought to analyse a few facts.

Firstly, if you know anything about PA31s you'll acknowledge that the locking tabs on the nose and wing lockers in particular are notoriously flimsy. So much so that just about any random sharp piece of metal can open one, whether it is an actual key or not.

Secondly, given the above, and the vibration forces that an airframe can experience in any state of motion, what are the odds of a locking tab vibrating itself loose, exposing the lever that it locks? Pretty good I reckon.

Thirdly, what has this to do with any particular SBP??? Do you know the current SBP there? I think you should introduce yourself to him - your views may rapidly change. Luckily the guy is decent enough not to gouge you in the eye for your misinformed comments, even if the last SBP may have been considered worthy of them (just between you and me).

I could rattle on about this, though there is little merit in doing so, since all your motive appears to be is to hang $hit on people rather than highlight any lessons to be learned, as Howard Hughes touches on.

Incidentally, I'm not one of those guys, but I can vouch for how good they are. And I wouldn't mind an explanation as to how paying the extra $$$ can remove the human factor from aviation - that being there will ALWAYS be mistakes made, time and again. You will make them too, one day.

520. :rolleyes:

[Pinky the pilot]

try learning from the mistakes of others

Quite correct Howard Hughes; An addition to the above quote could also be that ''you'll never live long enough to make them all yourself''
Alas, in aviation sometimes one only gets to make one mistake, and it's the last one they ever make!:(

[LUVJET]

Speedbird23

You are so misinformed that it would be a waste of time responding to such a poor attempt at inducing a response. Get a life.

[tinpis]

I seem to recall that we had keys to lock PA31 nose locker ? Back in the olden days when they were new.

[Bendo]

TINPIS

I always found the bottle opener on my Leatherman to be a particularly good key, worked on all three lockers.

Of course, back then a pilot could carry a Leatherman :ugh:

[morning mungrel]

They are a flimsy piece of ****e, however I've never had one come opern in flight. Several left open after the ground crew have done their bit however..... maybe the "Baggage Door Ajar" light wasn't working.... Hope it wasn't the engine my company paid for!