Fly United!

[PapaBear]

For you pilots, this will remind you of some incidents. For the others, it will scare the heck out of you. This happens all to frequently.

Here is a good example of how situational awareness avoided a possible disaster:

This is incredible. The First Officer is a female who was recently hired with extremely low experience. The Captain (?) is a gentleman who has failed several check rides before being certified.

The female tower controller gets confused and doesn't realize what's happening.

The only smart guy in the bunch is the USAir pilot waiting to takeoff listen to what he decides to do! Turn on your sound and watch the map of the planes. Think twice before you purchase your next ticket on United.

Go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BvgSS6kBdU

[conalabu]

That is insane. That was so close it was sick. In looking at the 3D recreation, that other plane hadn't have pulled up when they did, that would have been bad.

[lewisipso]

I'm ready for my next flight! NOT!

[countybear]

U.S. Air should commend their pilot. Extremely smart move for him to refuse clearance until the errant bird was located.

These United pilots need to be recycled. Now.

[BEK]

I think things like this happen all the time. I was on a flight that we landed and took off again and the pilot told us we were to close to the plane in front of us.

[Coloradocop]

Yeah, I flew a lot in college... Amazing how often this kind of stuff happens.

The US Air guy did a great job by refusing to take the runway until this was sorted out... And the tower controller is an idiot. She heard the United plane say that another plane had just taken off in front of them, which obviously means that they werne't on an inactive runway. Good thing the US Air pilots were listening to traffic on the radio.

[Car 4]

My Navy flyer son says they are scared to death to fly in civilian airspace just because of this kind of stuff. Most civilian airline pilots are military trained and do a pretty good job....but it is obvious from the accent that this guy didn't graduate from OUR military flight schools.

I'd rather walk.....

Car 4

[Pudge]

Yikes. Major props to the US Air pilot

[ManImBored]

And that is why I try and drive anywhere I go.

[sgtbear111]

No doubt the US Air 2998 pilot on radio was military trained. Radio discipline, brevity, and ability to make a command decision contrary to controller who lost control. US Air took charge of the field by example and deed. Another video link has more unedited radio chatter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cofPH...eature=related

The ground controller and the 2 UAL bozos should be handed flight violations.....and hopefully their next radio experience is "did you want fries...pull up to the first window".

Might add the next senior controller to the list of bozos. The field should have been closed and inbound/approaching flights waved off or diverted. Near end of the video link above, unknown aircraft called "local appoach...is the field clear?" Controller blew off the question, no inquiry to calling flight ID, proximity or altitude. US Air was also mis-identified as 4998 by controller, saw the cluster-f++k this was, and refused to accept clearance or take the active runway until UAL1448 was at the gate.

PapaBear - situational awareness indeed. WOXOF.

WOXOF is weather abbreviation for: wind zero, sky obscured, zero visibility, fog.