The usual suspect.
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The usual suspect.
The crew and passengers of FlyDubai 981 left for a better place recently and may they rest in peace.
Yet already, the nasty yet familiar suspicion of fatigue is rearing its end.
At the time what already seems like a botched G/A happened, the crew had been up at task 5 or 6 hours and were operating in the middle of their WOCL.
Voices are raising already, citing the slavish-style rostering FlyDubai imposes on its pilots:
https://www.rt.com/news/336514-flydu...fatigue-crash/
F/O had worked 11 days prior to that flight, with only 1 day off.
No doubt when the final report comes out citing 'fatigue' as a factor to the accident, the airline will happily belch out the famous words:
"It was legal".
Where have I heard that before?
And we thought 'working to death' was a figure of speech.
Yet already, the nasty yet familiar suspicion of fatigue is rearing its end.
At the time what already seems like a botched G/A happened, the crew had been up at task 5 or 6 hours and were operating in the middle of their WOCL.
Voices are raising already, citing the slavish-style rostering FlyDubai imposes on its pilots:
https://www.rt.com/news/336514-flydu...fatigue-crash/
The former pilot cited an internal survey that asked “Do you think there’s going to be a crash?”
“Over 80% of the pilots that participated … said yes, there will be a crash at Flydubai. And it’s unbelievable, I mean they knew this was coming, they absolutely knew it and of course they will blame it on the pilots.”
“Over 80% of the pilots that participated … said yes, there will be a crash at Flydubai. And it’s unbelievable, I mean they knew this was coming, they absolutely knew it and of course they will blame it on the pilots.”
No doubt when the final report comes out citing 'fatigue' as a factor to the accident, the airline will happily belch out the famous words:
"It was legal".
Where have I heard that before?
And we thought 'working to death' was a figure of speech.
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“Everybody at the company has these dangerous shifts from day flight to night flight, and then back to a day flight, and then back to a night flight, and it has definitely been a big issue for a long time.”
Anyway don't worry, at least our brilliant caring company Cathay Pacific is nothing like a low cost carrier - they have our best interests at heart with their new Programme to monitor sickness...
“The way that [Flydubai] … builds the schedules does not account for circadian rhythm … they do not allow pilots to get the right amount of rest, or the proper rest before a flight, and that is exactly what both of these pilots were, the situation that they were in, for sure,” the pilot said.
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Yep and it seems I can read it better than you.
10/3 is the start of the run to which you refer. He checked in for the ROV on 18/3.
That's 8 days prior including one day off equating to 7 days work.
10/3 is the start of the run to which you refer. He checked in for the ROV on 18/3.
That's 8 days prior including one day off equating to 7 days work.
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F/O had worked 11 days prior to that flight, with only 1 day off.
So keep on moving, nothing to see here folks. It's legal.
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This is shocking reading, but somehow not surprising.
Nothing will change at FlyDubai, in their Arab arrogance they will ignore the whole thing.
But it really should be a wake up call for CX management, many Airbus rosters are not that different from what those FlyDubai guys are exposed to. Time to take responsibility and face reality before it's too late.
Nothing will change at FlyDubai, in their Arab arrogance they will ignore the whole thing.
But it really should be a wake up call for CX management, many Airbus rosters are not that different from what those FlyDubai guys are exposed to. Time to take responsibility and face reality before it's too late.
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What an excellent post.
It's time IFALPA puts it foot down. We're the front line of this madness, and we have the power and obligation to stop it.
We've lost control over our profession because we can't unite. We undercut each other, underbid each other, blame each other and fight one another while losing all focus on what should be our core business; getting our passengers safely from A to B.
As things now stand, any airline willing to go beyond the absolute minimum safety standard loses economic viability in the long run.
We must retake control of training standards. Of flight time limitations. On flight ops management qualifications. On admission to the profession.
The question just remains of how many more accidents have to occur before that will happen.
It's time IFALPA puts it foot down. We're the front line of this madness, and we have the power and obligation to stop it.
We've lost control over our profession because we can't unite. We undercut each other, underbid each other, blame each other and fight one another while losing all focus on what should be our core business; getting our passengers safely from A to B.
As things now stand, any airline willing to go beyond the absolute minimum safety standard loses economic viability in the long run.
We must retake control of training standards. Of flight time limitations. On flight ops management qualifications. On admission to the profession.
The question just remains of how many more accidents have to occur before that will happen.
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Extremely well said PP, but don't forget to add Split Duty (they can be found illegally accepting min Split rest less than defined "rest", short changing themselves and Cabin Crew on time to get ready and meet downstairs)...
(....they can be found as regulatory authorities, bending to the desires of the big airlines, in allowing changes to legal protections, and allowing clearly fatiguing duties such as Split to continue.)
(....they can be found as regulatory authorities, bending to the desires of the big airlines, in allowing changes to legal protections, and allowing clearly fatiguing duties such as Split to continue.)
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👏👏
Spot on
They can also be found writing to AT about it but doing nothing about her reply except making the standards even lower than they are now.
As for the BA roadshow they have to be accepted to start with , and that might be a big ask✌
Spot on
They can also be found writing to AT about it but doing nothing about her reply except making the standards even lower than they are now.
As for the BA roadshow they have to be accepted to start with , and that might be a big ask✌
Last edited by goathead; 23rd Mar 2016 at 12:53.
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Worse still, pilots in Dubai are being discouraged from reporting sick, the former pilot claimed.
“Of course, if you’re always tired for a long period of time it also leads to sickness. In Dubai, pilots are being punished for calling in sick,” he said. “You don’t want a sick pilot to be flying an airplane, but in Dubai, if the pilot calls in sick, he will be punished: he will lose money, he will have to report, he will get a warning letter, so they’re actually actively being discouraged to call in sick.”
“Of course, if you’re always tired for a long period of time it also leads to sickness. In Dubai, pilots are being punished for calling in sick,” he said. “You don’t want a sick pilot to be flying an airplane, but in Dubai, if the pilot calls in sick, he will be punished: he will lose money, he will have to report, he will get a warning letter, so they’re actually actively being discouraged to call in sick.”
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I'm a pilot of an airplane that can largely handle the mechanical chores of flying on its own. So most of my role in my job is in using good judgment and in making good decisions.
I can live without a few bucks, and I can live with a few nasty letters, admonishments, or even worse. If they arise out of doing the right thing they'll probably even give some interesting stories for the old pilots' home.
I can't live with wrecking my health, hurting my family, or taking chances with the lives of the 300 trusting souls in the back. So I won't do this, regardless of consequences.
Life is pretty easy when you do the right thing.
I can live without a few bucks, and I can live with a few nasty letters, admonishments, or even worse. If they arise out of doing the right thing they'll probably even give some interesting stories for the old pilots' home.
I can't live with wrecking my health, hurting my family, or taking chances with the lives of the 300 trusting souls in the back. So I won't do this, regardless of consequences.
Life is pretty easy when you do the right thing.