View Full Version : Commuter airline safety culture?
Old Lizzy
8th May 2009, 12:43
Another pilot tells me that as he sat number 4 for take-off yesterday, two Embraer RJ's declined a take-off clearance due to the thunderstorm over the field moving quickly east and a reported 20 knot gain windshear alert on the runway by tower. The third aircraft, a Saab, accepted a take-off clearance during the windshear alert and departed.
Why such different reactions to severe weather operations?
Lizzy
Score Your Safety Culture : TP 13844 - Score Your Safety Culture (http://www.tc.gc.ca/CivilAviation/systemSafety/Brochures/Tp13844/menu.htm)
Is Air Traffic Control obliged to continue to offer clearances where previous offers have been declined? Do they have any responsibility here or is it solely captain's discretion?
Well...we weren't there so difficult to say..but it's an interseting observation.
ATC are part of the whole team responsible for safety and this particular scenario reflects the excellent and professional relationship that we all enjoy with each other.
The responsibilty ultimately lies with the captain of the departing a/c in this situation. Perhaps the SAAB was able to execute an early to turn to avoid the w/s area? As I said we don't know what he/she could see out of the flight deck window - perhaps by the time they had taxied into position the cell had moved?
As I said, an interesting question and well worthy of comment from others..?
Centaurus
11th May 2009, 11:34
Depends on the airline culture. Happens all the time in Asia where some cultures blast off into severe weather without a thought while other operators sit out the passing storm. Like landing in severe weather where despite every warning from sink rate to wind-shear the culture is of "Real Men Don't Go Around."...
jolly girl
17th May 2009, 12:18
MarkD -
"Is Air Traffic Control obliged to continue to offer clearances where previous offers have been declined?"
Lets turn it around a bit... lets say the aircraft had a mechanical whilst lined up in queue for departure, and declined clearance to return to gate/ramp for maintenance. Would the controller hesitate/be obliged to provide a second clearance in that instance? I would think that severe weather is just as much a hazard as a mechanical.
That said there are some airports (such as LAX) where departures and arrivals are keenly rationed, and require a departure slot. In these situations a second clearance would be dependent on coordinating a new (time) window.
J.