Mike, =0Ayou are absolutely correct on the reasons why.. The captain should= have used the PIC authority but when you are in that hot seat, when the ai= rline is 'fat' on crews and there is noone hiring, you cannot make the deci= sions that you are supposed to make.. =0A=0ABaha =0A=0A=0A=0A----- Original= Message ----=0AFrom: Michael C. Berch <mcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>=0ATo: AIRLINE@L= ISTSERV.CUNY.EDU=0ASent: Friday, August 21, 2009 3:54:03 PM=0ASubject: Re: = CO responds to DOT findings on Flight 2816=0A=0AReflecting on this incident= , I think the real cause is the low status =3D20=3D=0A=0Aand working condit= ions of pilots flying for regional and commuter =3D20=0Acarriers.=A0 If tha= t had been a mainline CO aircraft (or any of the =3D20=0Amajor network carr= iers) I believe the captain would have called =3D20=0Aairport ops and said,= "I am the pilot in command of this aircraft and =3D20=3D=0A=0Amy passenger= s and I WILL BE DEPLANING. Have a jetway (or airstairs) =3D20=0Aready, beca= use we're parking at Gate ___." And his company would have =3D20=3D=0A=0Aba= cked him up.=0A=0ABut I imagine that the ExpressJet captain and FO were wor= ried that =3D20=0Athey would have been fired or disciplined if they had don= e that.=A0 In =3D20=0Asome ways it's related to the root cause of the Colga= n crash in Buffalo.=0A=0AOne of my former apartment mates had been a commut= er pilot for Great =3D20=0ALakes, and besides a salary of $18,000/year (eek= !) the pilots were =3D20=0Atreated not much better than burger-flippers at = McDonalds.=A0 He left =3D20=0AGreat Lakes to be a paramedic, which he said = was a *much* better job, =3D20=3D=0A=0Aeven though he loved to fly.=0A=0A--= =3D20=0AMichael C. Berch=0Amcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx=0A=0A=0AOn Aug 21, 2009, at 2= :23 PM, Roger LaFrance wrote:=0A> CO responds to=0A> DOT findings on Flight= 2816=0A> Larry=0A> today issued the following statement regarding Continen= tal Express =3D20=0A> Flight 2816=0A> (operated by ExpressJet Airlines), wh= ich was subjected to a lengthy =3D20=3D=0A=0A> ground delay=0A> following a= weather diversion to Rochester (RST), Minn., on Aug. 8, =3D20=3D=0A=0A> 20= 09.=0A> Responding=0A> to the findings of a U.S. Department of Transportati= on (DOT) =3D20=0A> investigation that=0A> the ExpressJet crew was not at fa= ult and that the local =3D20=0A> representative of Mesaba=0A> Airlines (a w= holly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines), improperly =3D20=3D=0A=0A> refu= sed the=0A> requests of the captain to let her passengers off the plane, La= rry=0A> said, =3D93Continental takes responsibility for the care of its =3D= 20=0A> customers, whether=0A> they are on our regional partners=3D92 flight= s or our own. We are =3D20=0A> gratified that=0A> Secretary LaHood recogniz= ed the crew=3D92s efforts to resolve the =3D20=0A> situation.=0A> =3D93Whil= e=0A> the result for the customers was clearly unacceptable, it is evident = =3D20=3D=0A=0A> that the=0A> ExpressJet crew worked through the night to re= solve the situation =3D20=0A> and was=0A> frustrated with Delta Connection= =3D92s failure to provide reasonable =3D20=0A> assistance.=0A> =3D93We=0A> = have processes in place to avoid these situations and those =3D20=0A> proce= sses clearly=0A> broke down in this case. We are working to ensure that doe= sn't =3D20=0A> happen again,=3D94=0A> Larry said.=0A> In=0A> the statement = issued by the DOT, LaHood said, =3D93The [Mesaba] =3D20=0A> representative= =0A> incorrectly said that the airport was closed to passengers for =3D20= =0A> security reasons,=0A> which led to this nightmare for those stuck on t= he plane.=3D94=0A> In=0A> addition, the manager of the Rochester Airport in= correctly stated in =3D20=3D=0A=0A> several=0A> previous interviews that th= e passengers and crew could have deplaned =3D20=3D=0A=0A> and that =3D93all= decisions made to keep the passengers enplaned were=0A> made by the Contin= ental Dispatch in MSP.=3D94=0A> The=0A> DOT statement also said the Aviatio= n Enforcement Office is =3D20=0A> considering the=0A> appropriate action to= take against Mesaba as it completes the =3D20=0A> investigation,=0A> which= it expects to conclude within a few weeks.=0A> ExpressJet=0A> issued a sep= arate statement saying, =3D93ExpressJet and Continental have =3D=0A=3D20=0A= > a long=0A> standing relationship of cooperation with the Department of = =3D20=0A> Transportation (DOT)=0A> on passenger rights. ExpressJet was one = of the few regional airlines =3D20=3D=0A=0A> that=0A> voluntarily participa= ted in the DOT's task force on developing =3D20=0A> contingency plans=0A> d= uring extended tarmac delays. Through knowledge gained by =3D20=0A> partici= pating in the=0A> DOT task force, both ExpressJet and Continental adopted a= n extended =3D20=3D=0A=0A> tarmac delay=0A> program. As the timeline and di= gital voice recordings accompanying =3D20=0A> this release=0A> prove, both = companies know the program and attempted to follow=0A> it.=3D94=0A>=0A> Co-= workers may read the full statements by CO, DOT and ExpressJet by =3D20=3D= =0A=0A> clicking=0A> the links below.=0A> Continental Airlines Responds to = DOT=0A> Findings on Flight 2816=0A> ExpressJet=0A> Responds to DOT Review o= f Extended Tarmac Delay on Flight=0A> 2816=0A> Statement by U.S.=0A> Transp= ortation Secretary Ray LaHood on Conclusion of the Preliminary =3D20=3D=0A= =0A> Phase of=0A> the Continental Tarmac Delay Investigation=0A>=0A> <=3D20= =0A> <=3D20=0A> <=3D20=0A> <=3D20=0A> <=3D20=0A> <=3D20=0A> <=3D20=0A> <=3D= 20=0A> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>= >>=0A>=0A> If you wish to unsubscribe from the AIRLINE List, please send an= E-=3D20=0A> mail to:=0A> "listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx".=A0 Within the body = of the text, only =3D20=0A> write the following:"SIGNOFF AIRLINE".=0A=0A<<<= <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>= =0A=0AIf you wish to unsubscribe from the AIRLINE List, please send an E-ma= il to:=0A"listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx".=A0 Within the body of the text, only= write the following:"SIGNOFF AIRLINE".=0A <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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".