You return... Company policy

[Black_Dawn]

Let's say that for today you are schedule for 4 legs.
After departing your home airport, for your first leg, during climb, you have to shut down an engine (twin engine) due to oil press drop, and so you have to return back to your home airport.

Now the question is: what's your company policy in this event?

1) Are you relieved from your duty and a stby crew called to complete the 4 legs?

2) If not, may you ask to be relieved?

3) If your company give you a choice, to be relieved or continue your legs with an other aircraft: what would you choose?

May be you, old-timers have to say something about this issue :cool:

BD

[quid]

We'd get another airplane and start over.

[Tan]

It happened to me three times. Since one of the incidents occurred on the last leg at home base I just went home. However on the other two incidents we simply got a new airplane and continued on our way.

It is a different story for our F/A's as their contract states that they have the right to return to home base. In my case’s the F/A's decided to stay with the operation.

I should add on the last engine failure I did get a call from the CP on the bridge just before departure asking me whether I was OK to continue. I suppose he had to do that to protect his behind but it is rather novel.

Can you visualize how the passengers would feel if the original pilots and F/A’s booked off and they the passengers, didn’t?
:)

[411A]

Only have returned one time with a jet aircraft (precautionary shutdown due high engine vibs, TriStar) and as we were outbound from RUH to LHR, landed and changed aircraft in 38 minutes flat....and as the CC were all LHR based, you can bet your boots they had NO intention of staying in RUH..:D

CP said...well done, thanks.

[Pegasus77]

I flew with a captain once who had a severe hydraulical failure in flight and landed -offcourse- with much delay at his destination (our homebase). He then rushed to his next flight ('cos he was late already) and after all the stress to get this next show on the road and after the gear was up he noticed himself trembling all over, whereafter he decided that if anything severe would happen in the cockpit in the future he would take the day off, because he considers himself unfit to fly afterwards.
I think it is good airmanship if you reckognize that you are a bit shocked due to what happened and that it might be better to go home and relax. I don't see the need to play the tough guy if you're not.

Offcourse in 411A's post I understand the crew wanted to get home (how quickly did they repair the engine btw?? no duty-time problems there?!), but if at the homebase, I'd call it a day.

From my own little bag with experiences since I took up flying I can recall an approach into MUC, with a heavy windshear on final, which -offcourse- resulted in a go-around, during which we were hit by lightning 2 times and all our pax threw up due to the turbulence, combined with some heacy icing etc etc. Here, just as in the small story above, offcourse we arrived late, then got on to the next flight with some stress due to our late arrival, and afterwards during climb out, after switching on the AP I first realized that I actually had needed some time to think and talk about what actually had happened.

We offcourse may call to be relieved, I didn't do that, first because I didn't think of it, secondly -I can say afterwards- even if I had thought about it, I think I would have made the decision to keep on flying. On the other hand I wouldn't feel ashamed at all to call in as unfit to fly. Even pilots are humans :) !!

P77

Oh now I forgot about your question :)

In my company you can call it a day after an heavy inflight event, but that does not happen automatically. There even is a special team of specialists ready to help you get on with your normal life if needed.

P77