View Full Version : Crewing abroad when a pilot falls ill
Thinking last night (oh yes, very hard indeed!).
What if an airline takes a 767 on one of its regular charter flights to say, Mexico, (being based in UK). It get's there, then the crew who where due to fly it back (who have beein laying over in Mexico since last week) cant', because the captain falls ill. What happens?
You've got a 767, and a captain who can't fly, with no reserve crew right?
Just wondering.
Minimum rest for the inbound tech crew concerned, then dispatched accordingly.
This does NOT make the commercial department pleased, but OTOH, not much you can do about it.
Sending pax to the hotel is never cheap...but it happens.
Once had the chief pilot call me in the same scenario, in the middle of my minimum rest and "request" that I operate now (please).
Told him that the minimum rest started from the time of his telephone call, and to not call me again I until was legal.
Was in accordance with the GOM, and he later said...sorry.
Clearly he got the message.
Told him later that the companies insurance cover would have been VOID in the event of an incident with improperly rested crew...and so it would have been.
Anyone disagree?
BlueEagle
8th Oct 2002, 03:25
Depending on the relationship between the company and their underwriters then it is possible that the hull insurance could have been voided but the third party and passenger legal liability would still get paid.
If the company was otherwise in good standing with the underwriter and had a reasonable fleet value and therefore paid a fair amount of premium the underwriters might just pay the hull loss too. The authority that issued the AOC, on the other hand, would probably get most upset.
747FOCAL
8th Oct 2002, 15:14
411A,
What if the guy was on the virge of passing out or violently puking or dumping in his pants or both at the same time? don't you think an insurance company would rather have a tired pilot that can still physically fly or one that pukes on the FMC and shorts the whole damn plane out. And yes I know puking on the FMC won't short the plane out. :rolleyes:
747 Focal, errr, I think you're missing the point. The alternative is pax in hotel, not puke on FMS !?!
BlueEagle
8th Oct 2002, 23:09
So glad that you are an American 747FOCAL, I can just imagine the flaming a Brit. would have got from 411A if they had made your post!!!:D
twistedenginestarter
9th Oct 2002, 08:41
So glad that you are an American 747FOCAL, I can just imagine the flaming a Brit. would have got from 411A if they had made your post
I just love remarks that insult two people at once.
(ps aren't you supposed to be a moderator?...)
BlueEagle
9th Oct 2002, 10:03
twistedenginestarter - For you I think a short course in humour might help. It was fairly obvious that there was no insult intended to anyone yet you have chosen to go right over the top.
One can only wonder why.
As the originator of your post you have the option to delete.
G.Khan
9th Oct 2002, 10:15
Hey! Lighten up Twisted, if you have read some of 411A'a posts you'll know he never fails to have a good natured 'dig' at the British and things British and 747Focal got hold of the wrong end of the stick - 411A meant the inbound crew would take min. rest and go back, leaving the sick ones behind.
Maybe you just don't like moderators?;)
TightSlot
9th Oct 2002, 11:05
OBK! - There is usually a degree of standby cover available, but it may be in MCO - that's why your longhaul roster will sometimes put you on standby in hotac overseas. Were your hypothetical illness to occur in CUN for example, the company could whip up a Lear fairly promptly in Florida, and then the flight time to CUN is only 60 - 90 minutes. This should (just about) permit an FTL back to the UK, possibily with discretion, and if not, would at least permit the a/c to operate from CUN to MCO where a relatively large pool of crew exist, from whom a "volunteer" might be found.
If that doesn't work, then 411A is correct. I/b pax into hotac for the night, while O/b crew member takes min rest prior to operating back (possibly via MCO for further crew changes if required).
747FOCAL
9th Oct 2002, 15:39
Never ceases to amaze me how we take things way over the line around here. He is right, i didn't understand what 411A was saying until there was further info.
When they have the PPRUNE parties are there lots of fights? And just because I live in Seattle does not make me an American. :p
Jetdriver
9th Oct 2002, 16:32
It does sometimes happen that a critical crewmember falls ill down-route. By critical I mean a member of the crew that cannot be replaced by another crewmember or is individually vital to the operation of the flight.
Nobody would declare themselves unfit down-route unless they really were. So if it happens that is just unfortunate. It causes a delay in the same way it would if one of the other vital components of the plane went unservicable.
This is what crewing /ops departments are for. The problem is theirs to sort out. In the worst case it would mean flying another crewmember from base, resting them then operating the flight a day or so late. It might be possible to use another crewmember in the same location albeit later. Crew can sometimes be sourced at a better location ( for example there may be a crew in orlando that can provide cover with a few hours notice).
Many ways to skin a cat. It might be expensive and a major inconvenience but that is way it goes sometimes.
Willit Run
10th Oct 2002, 00:10
just walk into Brysons, your apt to find any number of qualified pilots there, just waiting for a trip!!