Reflecting on this incident, I think the real cause is the low status =20= and working conditions of pilots flying for regional and commuter =20 carriers. If that had been a mainline CO aircraft (or any of the =20 major network carriers) I believe the captain would have called =20 airport ops and said, "I am the pilot in command of this aircraft and =20= my passengers and I WILL BE DEPLANING. Have a jetway (or airstairs) =20 ready, because we're parking at Gate ___." And his company would have =20= backed him up. But I imagine that the ExpressJet captain and FO were worried that =20 they would have been fired or disciplined if they had done that. In =20 some ways it's related to the root cause of the Colgan crash in Buffalo. One of my former apartment mates had been a commuter pilot for Great =20 Lakes, and besides a salary of $18,000/year (eek!) the pilots were =20 treated not much better than burger-flippers at McDonalds. He left =20 Great Lakes to be a paramedic, which he said was a *much* better job, =20= even though he loved to fly. --=20 Michael C. Berch mcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx On Aug 21, 2009, at 2:23 PM, Roger LaFrance wrote: > CO responds to > DOT findings on Flight 2816 > Larry > today issued the following statement regarding Continental Express =20 > Flight 2816 > (operated by ExpressJet Airlines), which was subjected to a lengthy =20= > ground delay > following a weather diversion to Rochester (RST), Minn., on Aug. 8, =20= > 2009. > Responding > to the findings of a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) =20 > investigation that > the ExpressJet crew was not at fault and that the local =20 > representative of Mesaba > Airlines (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines), improperly =20= > refused the > requests of the captain to let her passengers off the plane, Larry > said, =93Continental takes responsibility for the care of its =20 > customers, whether > they are on our regional partners=92 flights or our own. We are =20 > gratified that > Secretary LaHood recognized the crew=92s efforts to resolve the =20 > situation. > =93While > the result for the customers was clearly unacceptable, it is evident =20= > that the > ExpressJet crew worked through the night to resolve the situation =20 > and was > frustrated with Delta Connection=92s failure to provide reasonable =20 > assistance. > =93We > have processes in place to avoid these situations and those =20 > processes clearly > broke down in this case. We are working to ensure that doesn't =20 > happen again,=94 > Larry said. > In > the statement issued by the DOT, LaHood said, =93The [Mesaba] =20 > representative > incorrectly said that the airport was closed to passengers for =20 > security reasons, > which led to this nightmare for those stuck on the plane.=94 > In > addition, the manager of the Rochester Airport incorrectly stated in =20= > several > previous interviews that the passengers and crew could have deplaned =20= > and that =93all decisions made to keep the passengers enplaned were > made by the Continental Dispatch in MSP.=94 > The > DOT statement also said the Aviation Enforcement Office is =20 > considering the > appropriate action to take against Mesaba as it completes the =20 > investigation, > which it expects to conclude within a few weeks. > ExpressJet > issued a separate statement saying, =93ExpressJet and Continental have = =20 > a long > standing relationship of cooperation with the Department of =20 > Transportation (DOT) > on passenger rights. ExpressJet was one of the few regional airlines =20= > that > voluntarily participated in the DOT's task force on developing =20 > contingency plans > during extended tarmac delays. Through knowledge gained by =20 > participating in the > DOT task force, both ExpressJet and Continental adopted an extended =20= > tarmac delay > program. As the timeline and digital voice recordings accompanying =20 > this release > prove, both companies know the program and attempted to follow > it.=94 > > Co-workers may read the full statements by CO, DOT and ExpressJet by =20= > clicking > the links below. > Continental Airlines Responds to DOT > Findings on Flight 2816 > ExpressJet > Responds to DOT Review of Extended Tarmac Delay on Flight > 2816 > Statement by U.S. > Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Conclusion of the Preliminary =20= > Phase of > the Continental Tarmac Delay Investigation > > <=20 > <=20 > <=20 > <=20 > <=20 > <=20 > <=20 > <=20 > <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > > If you wish to unsubscribe from the AIRLINE List, please send an E-=20 > mail to: > "listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx". Within the body of the text, only =20 > write the following:"SIGNOFF AIRLINE". <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you wish to unsubscribe from the AIRLINE List, please send an E-mail to: "listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx". Within the body of the text, only write the following:"SIGNOFF AIRLINE".