Captain UA455 removed from flight for "emotional meltdown"
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Captain UA455 removed from flight for "emotional meltdown"
I feel very sorry for the crew and passengers on this flight and hope that the Captain will be well supported by the employer.
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Such things happen, and always will as long as fallible humans are part of the equation. The problem, mercifully, was detected and appropriate action taken. I very much hope this unfortunate individual, who would be better served by our compassion than inappropriate attempts at "humour," will receive the help she needs.
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Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnu6QSEt-m4
I wonder why she walked to the back of the aircraft after her "rant"?
I wonder why she walked to the back of the aircraft after her "rant"?
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Whether a man or woman, this type of conduct renders a pilot unfit to be in our profession. I know, she needs help, and help she should get. Once fit again, she should be looking for a non-aviation profession.
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It was a long period of time, from the moment the crew enter the cockpit until they are ready for push-back. I wonder why the crew did not talk to the pilot, to convince her that she is not fit to fly. FO didn't stop her to become a national news.
At the end of the video, I think she realized what she did, then she went at the back of the plane to avoid staring eyes and cameras.
At the end of the video, I think she realized what she did, then she went at the back of the plane to avoid staring eyes and cameras.
Ready....well posted...
Pheonix....
But do we know the definite timescale here.? Until we know what really happened we might want to cut the rest of the crew a bit of slack. Reading the article is it not just as possible that the captain wandered on, interacted with a few passengers face to face ( about her clothing) and then grabbed the PA handset ( from the news item it appears she's doing the PA from the cabin ) and started her rant ? In which case it is possible the poor FO might have been unaware what was going on at first and was possibly too busy having a WTF moment, followed by making calls to company, to have the time at least initially to indulge in counceling.
Pheonix....
It was a long period of time, from the moment the crew enter the cockpit until they are ready for push-back. I wonder why the crew did not talk to the pilot, to convince her that she is not fit to fly. FO didn't stop her to become a national news.
Last edited by wiggy; 12th Feb 2017 at 16:47.
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Yes, theoretically it is possible, but the doors were armed (in video FA ask to disarm doors), then I guess there was some time between she entered the cabin and the doors closing.
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In other cases of bad judgment and public misbehavior, I've seen some of the familiar cards played as a mitigation strategy. United is by all accounts a progressive workplace and in addition to ALPA, she will probably have one or two demographic advocacy groups on her side.
It's very hard to get fired as a union pilot for a major U.S. airline these days. A few people do succeed though.
An account of the episode from the Austin, Texas newspaper:
Pilot removed from Austin flight after reports of strange behavior
Nicole Barrios Austin Community Newspapers Staff
10:11 p.m Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017 Local News
A United Airlines pilot was removed from an Austin to San Francisco flight Saturday evening, a spokesman for United Airlines confirmed.
United Airlines spokesman Charlie Hobart confirmed that the pilot was removed from United Airlines Flight 455.
“We hold our employees to the highest standards and we removed that pilot from that flight,” he said. “We brought in a new crew and they operated that flight.”
The pilot boarded the flight dressed in regular clothes, he confirmed.
According to multiple reports on Twitter from passengers, the pilot went on a “rant” about her divorce and the presidential election, and also began crying.
Randy Reiss, a passenger on the flight, tweeted about the flight and described the situation as scary. On Twitter, Reiss said the pilot told those on board that she was going through a divorce and began crying during the incident.
Reiss told the Statesman via Twitter that he believed the pilot was not in “the mental space today to take that on.”
A video uploaded to YouTube today appears to show a portion of what the pilot said to passengers.
In the video, the pilot is seen saying: “Don’t worry, I’m going to let my co-pilot fly it (the airplane). He’s a man,” she said.
“If you don’t feel safe, get off the airplane. But otherwise, we can go,” the pilot told passengers over the intercom.
After that comment, a man in the video appears to get up and request to get off of the airplane.
The pilot is then seen asking passengers if she offended them.
The flight was scheduled to depart Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at 5:02 p.m., according to KVUE News.
The flight’s departure was delayed for about two hours due to the incident, Hobart said.
“We removed her from the flight, (and) we’re going to discuss this matter with her,” he said. “We were looking out for our customers to get them to where they needed to be.”
Nicole Barrios Austin Community Newspapers Staff
10:11 p.m Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017 Local News
A United Airlines pilot was removed from an Austin to San Francisco flight Saturday evening, a spokesman for United Airlines confirmed.
United Airlines spokesman Charlie Hobart confirmed that the pilot was removed from United Airlines Flight 455.
“We hold our employees to the highest standards and we removed that pilot from that flight,” he said. “We brought in a new crew and they operated that flight.”
The pilot boarded the flight dressed in regular clothes, he confirmed.
According to multiple reports on Twitter from passengers, the pilot went on a “rant” about her divorce and the presidential election, and also began crying.
Randy Reiss, a passenger on the flight, tweeted about the flight and described the situation as scary. On Twitter, Reiss said the pilot told those on board that she was going through a divorce and began crying during the incident.
Reiss told the Statesman via Twitter that he believed the pilot was not in “the mental space today to take that on.”
A video uploaded to YouTube today appears to show a portion of what the pilot said to passengers.
In the video, the pilot is seen saying: “Don’t worry, I’m going to let my co-pilot fly it (the airplane). He’s a man,” she said.
“If you don’t feel safe, get off the airplane. But otherwise, we can go,” the pilot told passengers over the intercom.
After that comment, a man in the video appears to get up and request to get off of the airplane.
The pilot is then seen asking passengers if she offended them.
The flight was scheduled to depart Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at 5:02 p.m., according to KVUE News.
The flight’s departure was delayed for about two hours due to the incident, Hobart said.
“We removed her from the flight, (and) we’re going to discuss this matter with her,” he said. “We were looking out for our customers to get them to where they needed to be.”
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I really feel for this pilot. She must have been in an awful place to bahave like this and I'm guessing its totally out of character. Hopefully she can get over this episode and continue flying.
Avw82: I feel for the pilot and her personal life and how it will be affected but I'd caution at being quick to ever let her fly again. This isn't an episode of depression or a bad day, this is a mental break that nearly all will never experience in their life no matter the circumstances so something is clearly wrong with the individual and the safety of the flying public and fellow employees has to be guarded. The biggest indicator this can happen again is that it has happened the first time. Sad situation.
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IMSAFE
I guess she went through the IMSAFE checklist a bit too publicly.
IMHO, she should have called in sick. However, doing it in this way, she's practically guaranteed to get proper help.
IMHO, she should have called in sick. However, doing it in this way, she's practically guaranteed to get proper help.
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It's very hard to get fired as a union pilot for a major U.S. airline these days. A few people do succeed though.
Although, JetBlue wasn't union at the time, you might remember the captain who got locked out of his own cockpit inflight due to a scary rant. He'll apparently never fly again, since the judge who released him in 2012 stipulated that he never again try to regain his license.
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Murexway:
If UAL plays their cards right, they won't terminate her provided she go under the care of a psychiatrist jointly agreed to by ALPA and the company. Further, that she signs a release that at the end of therapy the psychiatrist will advise the company, ALPA, and the FAA whether she is fit to be issued an FAA medical certificate.
The chances of the psychiatrist giving her the thumbs up will be about zero, so then she is terminated because of lack of certification, or medically retired, depending on the provision of the UAL/ALPA CBA.
If UAL plays their cards right, they won't terminate her provided she go under the care of a psychiatrist jointly agreed to by ALPA and the company. Further, that she signs a release that at the end of therapy the psychiatrist will advise the company, ALPA, and the FAA whether she is fit to be issued an FAA medical certificate.
The chances of the psychiatrist giving her the thumbs up will be about zero, so then she is terminated because of lack of certification, or medically retired, depending on the provision of the UAL/ALPA CBA.
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Airbubba:
Too much publicity for that. That alone has already provided notice to the FAA. UAL may be "enlightened" but there are safety and significant legal issues if she is returned to duty without a full workup.
I'm guessing she'll get a few weeks off with pay to sort out her 'life issues'. Then she will return to the line unless the feds somehow get involved and yank her medical in the post Germanwings era.
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The assumption is that a pilot is a man, unless otherwise specified. That's normal human parlance. There are vastly more male pilots operating airliners. Statistics. Do we have to get bothered about a relatively insignificant gender terminology issue, when the glaring issue was a mentally disturbed pilot intending to operate? And she talked about PF being a "MAN". Should the nitpickers have mentioned that too?
