AMR pilot demands information from ATC about terror threat
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AMR pilot demands information from ATC about terror threat
Irate Pilot Loses Patience After Terror-Threat Delay - ABC News
Bravo to this pilot, not letting security theatre get between him and the safety of his passengers! 
"OK. We're surrounded by emergency vehicles, there's a reason for this," the pilot is heard saying in the audio recording of the exchange. "Somebody's got to give us the reason or we're going to evacuate the aircraft. You got 60 seconds."
"We have the information, can you possibly call [number blocked out]?" the control tower asked.
"Negative, I demand the information right now over a frequency," the pilot said.
"We have the information, can you possibly call [number blocked out]?" the control tower asked.
"Negative, I demand the information right now over a frequency," the pilot said.
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The pilot is lucky the FBI did not taser him!
The pilot should realize the bad guys could be monitoring the frequency too.
The pilot should realize the bad guys could be monitoring the frequency too.
Last edited by ATPMBA; 18th Sep 2012 at 22:55.
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"Irate" pilot??? Irate means angry or enraged. Irritated means angered, provoked, or annoyed. Personally I go with "irritated" (i.e. annoyed) and yet another case of poor journalistic skills 
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Good call, I evacuated a 737 once with a sabotage threat because calling company twice, once in the air and once after landing asking for airstairs and they failed to comply. Used all 4 slides. Can't say the details here but they had their chance to comply and didn't. You have to do what you have to do and he did. Every seat was full and hated to do it but couldn't leave them on the airplane. They didn't seem very interested in my request so I told them if the stairs aren't there I am using all 4 slides, so did. That was my first month as captain with a brand new FO landing at LAX.
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After landing and approaching our sabotage remote spot called ops and asked where are my airstairs? They responded we are working on it. After every passenger was off the airplane, 20 minutes later they showed up so the sniffing dogs could check out the airplane. By the way it was a positive threat, our flight number. Maybe some passenger that couldn't get boarded because it filled up wanted revenge.
We had a bunch of San Jose school kids on board so they loved the slide. They were going to Disneyland that day for thrill rides. Guess we gave them the first one.
We had a bunch of San Jose school kids on board so they loved the slide. They were going to Disneyland that day for thrill rides. Guess we gave them the first one.
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Everybody get this stright...THE PILOT IS THE BOSS
The pilot is the boss, not the FBI, not ATC, not anyone else.
He asked for an answer on the FAA ATC radio frequency, he should have gotten an answer. Supplying a phone number ...just too much...there is NO requirement that the pilot in command has a cell phone to call for special information.
OH and to the bright boy who said the bad guys might be monitoring the radio...there are ways to MONITOR a cell phone call too.
Sheesh.
I remind the world of a little regulation known as the ultimate authority of the pilot in command.
MY old, cheap computer can't do the radio call so I didn't hear it...just read the transcript here.
good for the pilot...shame on everyone else.
He asked for an answer on the FAA ATC radio frequency, he should have gotten an answer. Supplying a phone number ...just too much...there is NO requirement that the pilot in command has a cell phone to call for special information.
OH and to the bright boy who said the bad guys might be monitoring the radio...there are ways to MONITOR a cell phone call too.
Sheesh.
I remind the world of a little regulation known as the ultimate authority of the pilot in command.
MY old, cheap computer can't do the radio call so I didn't hear it...just read the transcript here.
good for the pilot...shame on everyone else.
bubbers44, good decision - I applaud you and also this Captain.
Reminds of this case where pax were detained on the a/c for over 2 hours after a bomb threat:-
Bomb threat
Reminds of this case where pax were detained on the a/c for over 2 hours after a bomb threat:-
Bomb threat
Last edited by fireflybob; 19th Sep 2012 at 00:30.
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Amen. Similar c**p happened to me long before 911 at Tulsa. When I couldn't get information from either the tower or the company, I evacuated the 727 on the ramp by the rear stairs. They simply wouldn't clear me for takeoff and sounded really strange.
I returned to the ramp, but they wouldn't let me have a gate and would not say why. I said, "Okay, if no one is going to tell me what is going on I am going to evacute the airplane." I didn't believe it was so urgent that I needed to use the slides and risk injuries. Finally, once I started the evaculation the company told me it was a bomb scare. This was 1979 or so.
Once it was over the idiot FBI agent and I exchanged unpleasant words in the ramp office.
This lunacy on the part of government well precedes the current batch.
I didn't write a report nor did the company ask for one. Strange, really strange.
I returned to the ramp, but they wouldn't let me have a gate and would not say why. I said, "Okay, if no one is going to tell me what is going on I am going to evacute the airplane." I didn't believe it was so urgent that I needed to use the slides and risk injuries. Finally, once I started the evaculation the company told me it was a bomb scare. This was 1979 or so.
Once it was over the idiot FBI agent and I exchanged unpleasant words in the ramp office.
This lunacy on the part of government well precedes the current batch.
I didn't write a report nor did the company ask for one. Strange, really strange.
Last edited by aterpster; 19th Sep 2012 at 01:18.
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Yes, under those conditions you would not want to approach the terminal building. You should have known what the threat was as PIC. Your company really screwed up as mine did and you had to initiate the deplaning of people with no input. It is obvious why the company didn't want your report because it would have made them look incompetent. They wouldn't like that, would they? I am so happy to be retired and not put up with some of the nonsense that still happens. I think I will just go fishing instead.
By the way the Reno Air Race was perfect this year. Perfect weather and no injuries. Only one gear failure accident that really messed up the airplane. Steven Hinton from Chino, Ca won again for the 3rd time in a row in his P51 Strega. His dad, Steve Hinton, gave me a couple of rides in the P51 in the 70's when I was running him through the instrument course at Chino. Both are the best pilots I have ever met. Last year was tragic with the P51 flying into the spectators 300 ft from us killing 11 and injuring at least 50. One man lost his leg at the crash site and was there again with a peg leg with shorts on. You have to give him credit.
By the way the Reno Air Race was perfect this year. Perfect weather and no injuries. Only one gear failure accident that really messed up the airplane. Steven Hinton from Chino, Ca won again for the 3rd time in a row in his P51 Strega. His dad, Steve Hinton, gave me a couple of rides in the P51 in the 70's when I was running him through the instrument course at Chino. Both are the best pilots I have ever met. Last year was tragic with the P51 flying into the spectators 300 ft from us killing 11 and injuring at least 50. One man lost his leg at the crash site and was there again with a peg leg with shorts on. You have to give him credit.
Clearly a case where the guys on the ground are still assessing the situation and haven't figure out whether the pilot is still in command.
The pilot offered to prove that he was in command by his non-life-threatening action. Opening a door would have confirmed his ability if that was necessary
enough said
I expect this type of scenario will be repeated.
The pilot offered to prove that he was in command by his non-life-threatening action. Opening a door would have confirmed his ability if that was necessary
enough said
I expect this type of scenario will be repeated.
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Come on...
A Fin Air flight from Helsinki and the American Airlines flight from San Francisco were searched by law enforcement officials Monday afternoon after the call saying the specific flights each had a terrorist secreted in a wheel well,
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He would be a clump of ice when the gear went down and he fell to the ground. No security threat at all. No sane person would try that. Hopefully he missed the roof of a house and hit the street.
Hopefully he missed the roof of a house and hit the street.
, what about the school, old peoples home, hospital, childrens playground that could have been in the way.
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The bad guys could be hiding under your bed right now!
I can understand why the captain would insist on continuing the exchange on an official and hence recorded frequency instead of calling on an unrecorded land line. It's always a good idea to have solid evidence on your side, should the **** hit the proverbial, and to avoid getting into a he said/she said type of situation at all cost.
BTW I too missed the part where the captain, according to the TV anchorman, "blew his top".
Last edited by Dg800; 19th Sep 2012 at 09:11.
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On the Aeroplane there is a command structure, the Captain is in command simple On the ground the chain of command is mostly a structure of "nothing to do with me chief" applications
On the ground the chain of command is mostly a structure of "nothing to do with me chief" applications
