Pilot hit by ground vehicle during walk-around!

[Evanelpus]

In one line he is saying that he and his "team" have "professional ethics" and in the next he is telling you that, he and his team are letting planes that are not legal to fly, fly with their full knowledge, just to get an on-time departure, funny, how Land Hopper is trying to get us on his side by blaming the dispatchers.

Whoever he is, I for one am enjoying this thread

Now, can we stop bitching for five minutes. Does anyone know how the personnel involved in this incident are doing?

[ekwhistleblower]

I heard he went to RH, was checked and released but then subsequently had serious concussion symptoms (possible bleed) and was readmitted to hospital. Since then no info.

[fatbus]

So was it an EK pilot?

[ekwhistleblower]

Yep it was indeed!

[FlightDetent]

(not a sand-pitter) I got hit once. During walk around, past the outflow valve of the very light Airbus twin, walking half sideways, half backwards below the THS. The waste truck was reversing under the servicing panel. Last time I checked my 6 it was not there. I'm sure driver would say the same about me.

The experience instantly removed all my resentments to the (then new) rule of wearing the hi-viz.

[wanabee777]

Brings back unpleasant memories of Natasha Richardson's, (Liam Neeson's wife), accident while learning to ski in Quebec in 2009.

[TwinJock]

Its heart warming to see that those doing the walk-arounds are ACTUALLY looking at the aircraft like in a real pre-flight! I have given up years ago to do a daily inspection and count every rivet during my walk - I treat the pre-flight as a dangerous obstacle course, with a momentary glance at the aircraft at times, to satisfy those that might be watching......

Speedy recovery to our fellow driver.

[Kobus Dune]

Do like me - pretend you do the walk-around (after all, who has ever found something nowadays, it's just a regulatory requirement) glance vaguely at the aircraft from time to time (who will check ?) but during the whole trip, look constantly left, right and backwards, towards all the directions from which the enemy will come to attack you. And by doing so, you will remain safe, available to perform your duties once you are back on the bridge.

[fatbus]

"Walk" around the nose wheel and say done. You're right , gone are the days of the last chance check in today's airline ops. When you say regulatory, "pre fight" being signed by engineers, so do you actually have to do it?

[PositiveRate876]

Originally Posted by Kobus Dune

Do like me - pretend you do the walk-around (after all, who has ever found something nowadays, it's just a regulatory requirement) glance vaguely at the aircraft from time to time (who will check ?) but during the whole trip, look constantly left, right and backwards, towards all the directions from which the enemy will come to attack you. And by doing so, you will remain safe, available to perform your duties once you are back on the bridge.

My FO once found damage during a walkaround that resulted in the aircraft being grounded. Turns out the engineer didn't want to ground the aircraft himself, so he misrepresented the extent of the damage.

So pretending to do the walkaround is not the answer. Raising the pay to get more quality ground staff is.

[ClassCbird]

I am hoping that the above comments about "pretending" to do walk arounds are simply a wind up. If not, then I am shocked and appalled at some of the utter unprofessionalism that is coming from some. My husband, no matter how under valued he may feel by this company, would ALWAYS put the safety of his aircraft, crew and passengers above all else. He has found three SIGNIFICANT defects/damage when doing a walk around in the last 18months, that engineers/mechanics missed (bird ingested in engine, bald and punctured tyres, icing on wing at outstation). Besides...wouldn't you want to find an excuse not to take the aircraft??!!

[AllDaysAreSchoolDays]

Just read this thread in the hope of finding out if the said Pilot is OK?

Any News?

Sadly I saw a Marshaller get hit by a Tug driver many years ago, in a different part of the World. I know of a few colleagues that have walked into things during the walk around. One Captain avoiding the rain, ran into the Drain mast on an Aircraft type he was not used to, nearly blinding himself. I myself have tripped on Tow bars and Fuel Point covers when walking around looking up instead of down!

I have heard of people being hit by falling suitcases when walking too close to the baggage belts. There was one very unfortunate incident involving a Waste tank truck that a colleague got too close to. While physically unharmed the mess prevented him from continuing at work!

This is an industry wide threat, and an issue that will not go away all the time so many services are occurring around the Aircraft.

Guys, if you see any unsafe practises during your walk around, please report them via ASR. Please take your time walking around, if you rush you will likely not observe the dangers around you.

I, like other posters here, try to stay under the Aircraft where few Vehicles can be. Watch out for the Potable Water and Waste Trucks. Don't walk under Baggage belts. And occasionally look down not just up! It hurts when you walk into a tow bar or trip over the Refuelling truck ground wire!

I say all this because I care about my colleagues and I am very aware that many of the Guys Upgrading on the B777 have not been exposed to too many walk arounds. The Video Training only deals with the items on the Aircraft to look for not everything else coming at you.

Be safe... and please DO a thorough inspection of the Aircraft. 99% of the time you won't find anything, but I have found a number of issues here and at other Airlines that needed Engineering attention and could have had safety implications. (Fuel leak, Hydraulic leak, Bird Strikes, HST peeling, Static Wicks missing, Engine Cowling and other Panels not latched properly. Dents that may have arrived after the Engineer signed the Daily. Tyre problems... I could go on...) When you sign the Tech. Log you are accepting the Aircraft assuming you have checked it.

I too am unhappy with the general working conditions but we must not let Apathy creep in and affect our integrity and professionalism.

I would appreciate any further info on the pilots state of health...

All the best.

[White Knight]

Originally Posted by Nikita81

I don't see unprofessionalism here

Pilots not doing a proper walkaround inspection are unprofessional! Probably the same pilots that brief for far too long too

I found a large bolt recently in a tyre that had been checked already by a LAME; that required a new tyre... Remember that it's not the LAMEs who have to land the thing when something goes wrong up there!

Originally Posted by kobus dune

Do like me - pretend you do the walk-around (after all, who has ever found something nowadays, it's just a regulatory requirement) glance vaguely at the aircraft from time to time (who will check ?) but during the whole trip, look constantly left, right and backwards, towards all the directions from which the enemy will come to attack you. And by doing so, you will remain safe, available to perform your duties once you are back on the bridge.

I try these days, here on pprune, to restrain myself but kobus... You are a muppet

[Versace]

Land Hopper:

Do yourself and MANY of us a favour and quit all the BS... Stop banging away on the keyboard like a "keyboard warrior" and start watching the ramp from the miserable office you work in.

Thanks and Bye.

[ClassCbird]

Just seen that some posts have been removed....By the by, I want to make my view point and position clear. I may be "just a pilot's wife", however i have the right to post on this forum. I have grown up around aviation and have worked in the airline industry for nearly as long as my husband.
I've read through this thread again. These issues are absolutely not exclusive to DXB. I have had a catering truck knock a rear right service door off one of it's hinges after the engineering inspection. I was on board at the time so it didn't go un noticed! The caterer simply ran off! And this happened in a so-called "first world" country! My point here is that accidents can happen between the engineer doing their inspection and the crew then doing a walk around. Other examples i have heard of are FOD damaging aircraft on ground due weather after an engineering inspection. To tie this in with the original meaning of this thread, i want to say that ground staff and pilots are not on opposite teams. You're all working to your limits and you are all fallible. Walk arounds are necessary and i hope you all take care of yourselves when doing them.

[SMT Member]

Raising the pay to get more quality ground staff is.

I work at a place where a ramp worker is paid EUR 30 per hour, plus extras. On a public holiday doing overtime, they're clocking close to 80 EUR per hour. They are the highest paid non-skilled workers in the land, and it makes no discernible difference safety wise to our neighbouring countries, where the same worker is paid the industry average.

I never quite understood how a walk-around inspection can reasonably be said to have fulfilled it's purpose, when it's always performed whilst ground handling is taking place. Surely the only correct time to complete this activity, would be after all ground handling has ceased, all equipment bar the jetty/stairs and push-back has been removed and nobody's driving any piece of equipment around inside the circle-of-safety.

But that'll add 5 minutes to the turn-around times, and we all know safety is only the number 1 priority until the bean-counters dictate otherwise.

[Aluminium shuffler]

Class Bird, my reply also went. It was in support of your point and criticism of your detractor, whom you are likely to have far more knowledge of flying than. Many partners learn quite a lot about how things work, or should work. My wife knows more about flying aircraft than the vast majority of airside ground staff I have met, let alone check-in agents.

[ClassCbird]

Thanks AS. I did see your post and all the others that were removed.

[wanabee777]

I never quite understood how a walk-around inspection can reasonably be said to have fulfilled it's purpose, when it's always performed whilst ground handling is taking place. Surely the only correct time to complete this activity, would be after all ground handling has ceased, all equipment bar the jetty/stairs and push-back has been removed and nobody's driving any piece of equipment around inside the circle-of-safety.

But that'll add 5 minutes to the turn-around times, and we all know safety is only the number 1 priority until the bean-counters dictate otherwise.

That last sentence says it all!

[Pointer]

Pilot is recovering slowly.. with great difficulty though!