Mexican airline Volaris has fired a pilot for recording a near collision on a runway in Mexico City. While the airline is technically justified in doing this, there’s an interesting twist to the story.
Continue reading: Volaris Fires Pilot Who Recorded Near Accident
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Does it even violate "sterile cockpit" as this was critical for the safety of the (other) airplane(s) and a collision could potentially eject debris that any recording can help identify potentially hazardous objects from the collision.
@Eskimo - I think (no specific information) that the issue may be more of how the recording got into the public domain than if it had just been preserved as an accident/incident investigation resource.
There are thousands of videos out there that have been filmed in violation of sterile cockpit regulations all around the world. Most of them don't make it to the interwebs. When they do, actions have consequences.
Wow, She clearly called for the Go Around, and LIKELY saved a catastrophe, had the plane on Short Final come in low...would have been Michael Jackson BAD!
Volaris should not have fired her and will regret it one day. Well Played 1st Officer
Good intentions or not. That’s against protocol. I’m not so sure I’d be ok with a pilot on their cell phone in flight. You’re at takeoff and using your cell phone ?
Grounds for termination.
She just got rehired or “hired “ should I say hired by Aeromexico. Good for her, she surely saved the day!!
So the Captain in charge who asked her to record the incident keeps his job and she gets fired. To say Volaris has bad leadership is the understatement of the year.
Right or wrong the video provides more evidence that things have got crazy at Mexico City airport. I don't feel safe flying there anymore. The issue with the main and the new satellite airport seems likely to lead to a disaster before long. Another triumph for AMLO!!
She violated the sterile cockpit, period, but then we all have at one point or another.
More disturbing than that though, is that when she noticed a major safety problem, her first thought was not to warn the crews, but to get her phone out a make a video.
That is why she was rightfully fired.
It's not like she was on her phone to do some Instagrams. This is a prime example of when people and organizations are so rigid they don't know how to react to obvious need to intervene. It's no different than a guard who is not suppose to leave their post. But if they see someone having a medical issue should that guard stay seated or assist. And if they assist they sound be fired for breaking protocol? Stupid. There is a fine line and when potential lost of life is evident the fine line can and should be moved.
"Asking permission" is very different from being asked/told to do something.
Not that I support the firing but your wording tries to transfer the blame to the captain.
Sterile cockpit is from PARKING BRAKE OFF to 10,000ft. Sterile cockpit does NOT apply when parking brake ON. That’s FAR’s. Imagine waiting on a taxiway for 45 mins with parking brake ON and crew cannot say anything to each other other than pertaining to that phase of the flight (Sterile Cockpit). That’s awfully rigid and negative CRM.
So if the pilots forgot t disengage the Parking Break. They will never violate sterile cockpit?
Thanks for this important point. I agree with an earlier comment asking how the recording made it on to Twitter, but in light of this reading of the FARs, the person who ought to be fired is the PR chief for Volaris, not the fall gal, Ms. Salmeron. I am glad she is soon to be back in the cockpit for revenue flights.