Criminal negligence verdicts overturned

[Carrier]

Pilot Mark Tayfel's convictions on several counts of criminal negligence have been overturned by the Manitoba Court of Appeal but his conviction of dangerous operation of a Keystone Air Service aircraft remains:

Pilot cleared in 2002 crash death - Winnipeg Free Press (http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/pilot-cleared-in-2002-crash-death-79599732.html)

CBC News - Manitoba - Crash-landing pilot's convictions overturned (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2009/12/17/mb-convictions-overturned-appeal-pilot-manitoba.html)

Transportation Safety Board of Canada - AVIATION REPORTS - 2002 - A02C0124 (http://www.tsb.gc.ca/ENG/rapports-reports/aviation/2002/a02c0124/a02c0124.asp)

[ab33t]

I dont think any pilot would intentionaly fly with inadequate fuel , feel for the guy.

[BartBandy]

NO PITY.

I worked with so many spineless pilots over the years.

Head nods? Too tired to continue? Well, god forbid the boss get mad, better keep going.

You know what takes guts? Saying NO.

this guy killed someone. I dont' care if he 'thought' he'd get away with it again this time.

I don't care if he would have lost his job by saying no.

His cowardice killed another human being. I hope he never flies again. Because his decision making sucks ass.

Part of the job is having the balls to say NO.

Anything else is just excuses.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

There is no arguing that the final decision regarding any flight rests with the PIC. , however it is also obvious that there is no shortage of pilots who will compromise under pressure either overt or insidious and bend or break the rules in companies that have that culture.

This pilot has been punished for his wrongdoing and will probably never fly commercially again.

A better use of our energy would be to identify why these pilots are allowed to push the envelope of risk until some of them finally wreck an airplane often with loss of life.

Am I to believe that these pilots operate this way and no one has any idea that they are taking these risks?

[polyfiber]

Hello Chuck,

You know the answer to that last question before you asked I am sure. Thankfully my experience was the opposite of what you usually see. The fellow I worked for... if he thought the job was dicey he wouldn't even phone us. It was usually after the fact we would find out he was flying in weather that was keeping the local birds on the ground. Great guy, started out in '64 and didn't quit till 2001.

I have mixed feelings about Tayfel, on the one hand I can see what happened. However what actually happened is total BS and is so friggen stupid it is hard to fathom what in the heck he was thinking. It is really a total embarassment to Canadian aviation and I could care less about the bleeding hearts who want to blame someone else.

I am sure you also know a few of the names of the "expert" witness's who were in court. Canadian aviation is a tiny world.

Adious

[Chuck Ellsworth]

Polyfiber I believe you have misunderstood my position on this subject, I asked the question about did anyone know about that pilot cutting corners and if so why was he not corrected or fired?

I am about as far from being a bleeding heart as you will find.

I do however look for causes that go beyond the simplistic hang'em high after the fact crowd mindset.