Issues Statement on Northwest Flight 188 Investigation
The Delta Master Executive Council, which is the Delta
branch of the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA)
representing the over 12,000 pilots of Delta Air Lines, Monday
issued the following statement concerning the NTSB investigation
into Northwest Flight 188.
“As professional airline pilots, our primary concern is
and always will be the safety and well-being of our
passengers,” said Captain Lee Moak, Delta MEC Chairman.
“In any aircraft incident, there is always more to the story
than first appears in the press. We do not condone the abandonment
of due process that will result from a rush to judgment; instead we
implore all interested parties to move with deliberate and
unemotional professionalism as the events surrounding this incident
are investigated.”
On Wednesday, October 21, 2009, ATC lost radio contact with
Northwest Flight 188, and Flight 188 subsequently overflew its
destination before radio contact was reestablished. The aircraft
remained visible to ATC radar at all times. Once radio contact was
reestablished, the aircraft returned for a safe landing at its
destination. At no time were the passengers, crew or aircraft in
danger.
Over the past several years, labor, management, the industry and
government agencies have partnered, expending significant amounts
of time, money and effort, to develop programs such as Aviation
Safety Action Programs (ASAP) and Flight Operational Quality
Assurance (FOQA) programs designed to improve the safety of our
nation’s aviation system. The core tenet of these programs is
the ability of pilots to self disclose without fear of retribution
in order to help make the U.S. aviation system the safest in the
world.
“To date, all crew statements related to this case have
been voluntary. We are disappointed that these voluntary statements
are being used without regard for the breach of trust and
confidence their use will cause,” Captain Moak remarked.
“Programs like ASAP and FOQA could be dealt a debilitating
blow as pilots question the integrity of these voluntary programs.
A rush to judgment by the NTSB will have a direct impact on the
future of voluntary safety programs, which are at the very core of
the safety structure of the U.S. aviation industry. The continued
viability of these programs themselves will be placed at risk. That
will, in turn, cause irreparable harm to the safety of our
nation’s aviation system.”
“The NTSB is an independent federal agency charged with
determining the probable cause of transportation accidents and
promoting transportation safety. They are not charged with
prematurely releasing self-disclosed information to be
sensationalized in the press,” Captain Moak insisted.
“We will work closely with Delta and federal officials to
determine any root causes for last weeks sequence of events,”
Captain Moak continued, “but in the meantime I strongly
encourage all parties not to reach a hasty conclusion. There is a
proper venue for this investigation, but we stand firmly behind the
crew’s right to due process.”