Just got this in an email last night from a fire related source, and thought I'd pass it along.

Hey,

Admittedly, we had about 30 seconds to put this Secret List together-but sort of had to get this out to you-so here it is.

This is about airline pilots, SEVERAL airline pilots who, as they claim, looked out for their own safety/survival-as well as their passengers. They refused to fly the plane. Several pilots refused to fly the plane. Management doesn't agree with their claims. 

Check this out:

The battle between US Airways (You need to be a member to view our links.

In a letter to employees on Friday, Robert Isom, chief operating officer, wrote that "USAPA has embarked upon a smear campaign that in reality is all about contract negotiations, not safety.

"I can tell you unequivocally the union's claims are outlandish, false and a disservice to the 32,000 hard-working employees of US Airways," Isom wrote. "Safety has been and always will be the top priority at US Airways, as it is at any airline." Union spokesman James Ray said that initially, Wells could not possibly fly the airplane because it lacked cockpit electrical power, but a chief pilot nonetheless encouraged her to fly. He said the incident symbolized US Airways' desire to enhance on-time performance and revenues.

"This is not just an isolated incident," he said. "It has been going on on a daily basis, and is the kind of practice we've been fighting for a number of years now." Airline spokesman John McDonald said the incident is under investigation. He said "the fact that Wellswas escorted off the property had nothing to do with safety," but declined to elaborate. Ray speculated the airline did not want Wells to tell the replacement crew of the problems she had with the aircraft. McDonald said that to be cautious, the airline "took the batteries off site and had them tested, and they were found to be in proper working order." He said the real issue in the incident was about the union "negotiating and trying to get leverage against the company, using safety as an issue, which it is not."

In a statement issued late Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration said the APU shutdown in the aircraft "is a failure that pilots are well aware can happen and that they are trained to recognize. The battery apparently was depleted by attempts to restart the APU." The agency said aircraft often fly with inoperative APUs, without a safety risk, but "the captain simply chose to exercise her pilot-in-command authority of not accepting an aircraft." It said US Airways maintained the aircraft in accordance with regulations. Ray noted that in addition to the APU failure, the hot battery bus also failed, causing an instrument failure that justified the Wells' decision.

US Airways recently passed the International Air Transport Association's safety audit "with flying colors," Isom noted in his letter, while the FAA has cited US Airways as an industry model for its safety management system. Ray said the IATA inspection is "nothing more than a self-evaluation by a trade association." Ray also denied that the safety claims are a negotiating tactic. "How do you think pilots are going to gain at the negotiating table by pointing out we have a safety issue at the company?" he said.

Friday marked the second time USAPA criticized US Airways safety practices in USA Today. A 2008 ad in the newspaper asserted that the airline was pressuring pilots to fly with less fuel than they might prefer. This article is from USA Today.

Take Care-Be Careful. Speak Up.

BillyG

The Secret List 7-23-11 / 0930 hours

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