A CL65 PIC'S RPT ON COMPANY INTIMIDATION. RPTR FEELS THAT HE IS ON A 'WATCH LIST' BECAUSE OF A RASH OF LOGBOOK WRITE-UPS. MGMNT APPEARS TO BE 'PUSHING' THIS CREW INTO NOT MAKING SO MANY COMPLAINTS IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK AND DELAYING THE FLTS AT CVG; OH.

2000-05 · NASA ASRS report 473765

Date: 2000-05 · Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer · Phase: ground

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-maintenance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|inflight-event-encounter-bird-animal|other-company-attitude

Synopsis

A CL65 PIC'S RPT ON COMPANY INTIMIDATION. RPTR FEELS THAT HE IS ON A 'WATCH LIST' BECAUSE OF A RASH OF LOGBOOK WRITE-UPS. MGMNT APPEARS TO BE 'PUSHING' THIS CREW INTO NOT MAKING SO MANY COMPLAINTS IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK AND DELAYING THE FLTS AT CVG; OH.

Narrative

I WAS REALLY FEELING UNDER PRESSURE AFTER ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WENT ON OVER THE PAST 2 DAYS. I FELT UNFIT TO FLY FROM THAT POINT ON AND DECIDED TO GO TALK TO A CHIEF PLT AND REMOVE MYSELF FROM THE REST OF MY TRIP THAT DAY. I FELT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON MY JOB. I TALKED WITH ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT. I ASKED HIM WHAT WAS GOING ON AND THAT I WAS MET 3 TIMES BY MGMNT. I SAID; THEY WERE ASKING QUESTIONS AND STANDING AROUND IN THE WAY. I ALSO TOLD HIM I FELT A LITTLE FRAZZLED BY ALL OF THIS. I TOLD HIM I WAS UNABLE TO CONTINUE BECAUSE I WAS UNFIT TO FLY AND FELT THAT I WAS BEING SINGLED OUT. HE TRIED TO EXPLAIN WHAT MGMNT WAS ACTUALLY DOING BY MEETING THESE FLTS. THEY WERE TRYING TO HELP AND TO SEE IF ANYONE WOULD NEED ANYTHING. THEY WANTED TO TRY AND GET THE ON TIME PERFORMANCE UP. I TOLD HIM I'M STILL UNFIT TO CONTINUE AND THAT I OWED IT TO THE PAX; CREW AND MYSELF TO REMOVE MYSELF FROM DUTY. HE WAS FULLY UNDERSTANDABLE AND SAID HE LET ME GET A HOLD OF DIRECTOR OF FLT ADMINISTRATION OR CHIEF PLT. I THEN TOLD HIM I WOULD TRY AND GET A UNION REPRESENTATIVE TO SIT IN. I SAW CAPT XY AND ASKED IF HE WOULD COME IN. HE ASKED HOW LONG UNTIL ONE OF THOSE GUYS COULD GET DOWN HERE? HE NEEDED TO LEAVE SOON TO GO CATCH A FLT. I WENT BACK INTO ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE TO ASK HOW LONG. THAT'S WHEN HE SAID; 'HERE'S WHAT'S UP. I GOT A HOLD OF CHIEF PLT AND HE SAID; IF I DID NOT CONTINUE WITH MY TRIP; WE WOULD START TO FILL OUT THE TERMINATION PAPERS.' I TOLD HIM TO HOLD ON. I LEFT THE OFFICE AND GOT CAPT XY AND WE WENT BACK IN THERE. I ASKED ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT IF HE WOULD PLEASE REPEAT WHAT CHIEF PLT SAID AND HE TOLD CAPT XY. NOW I WAS REALLY BESIDE MYSELF. HE WAS TRYING TO FORCE ME TO FLY OR BE TERMINATED. I FELT DAMNED IF I FLEW OR DAMNED IF I DIDN'T. I HAD ONLY 50 MINS UNTIL MY NEXT FLT WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART. WE ALL DECIDED IT WOULD BE BEST IF WE DID NOT TALK WITH ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT ANYMORE AND TO FIND A UNION REPRESENTATIVE AND TALK TO CHIEF PLT DIRECTLY. ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT HELPED TO LOCATE WHAT FLT SAFETY CHAIRMAN; CAPT XX; WAS TALKING OUT. WE THEN LEFT TO GO FIND HIM. I WENT UP TO CAPT XX AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAS JUST TRANSPIRED. HE THEN ASKED ME IF I WAS FIT TO FLY. I SAID NO. SO HE RECOMMENDED IF I FELT THIS WAY; MAYBE I SHOULD GO AND REMOVE MYSELF FROM THE TRIP. SO I DID AND WENT HOME. A COUPLE OF MONTH'S BACK CHIEF PLT CAME UP TO ME IN THE HALLWAY DOWN IN OPS. HE SAID; 'YOU HAVE ALL OF US IN THIS CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE WORKING OUR TAILS OFF AND IT WOULD BE CHEAPER FOR THE COMPANY TO KEEP YOU AT HOME AND PAY YOU TIME AND A HALF THAN TO HAVE YOU COME TO WORK.' HE THEN SAID; 'YOU ALONE HAVE COST THIS COMPANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. WHEN THE COMPANY IS DOWN; YOU KEEP KICKING THEM AND YOU TIGHTEN UP THE HEADLOCK.' I COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT I WAS HEARING. I ASKED HIM; 'WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME; I'M ONLY DOING MY JOB AND NOTHING ELSE.' HE SAID; 'YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. I'M NOT ACCUSING YOU OF ANYTHING.' ALL OF THIS WAS SAID IN FRONT OF ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT AND CAPT XYZ. THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WHY I FEEL TARGETED. (PLEASE SEE OTHER RPTS FOR CONTINUATION OF PREVIOUS HISTORY.) SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 473756: DEP OUT OF CAE ON GEAR RETRACTION LOUD AND STRONG NOSEWHEEL VIBRATIONS AS NOSEWHEEL WOUND DOWN. INFLT TO CVG CALLED MAINT TOLD THEM OF VIBRATIONS AND THEY SAID GIVE THEM A CALL ON THE GND. PULLED INTO GATE AND WAS MET BY 4 MGMNT PEOPLE. FLT ADMINISTRATOR AND ASSISTANT; MAINT SUPVR; AND A LADY CARRYING A HAND HELD RADIO. AFTER PAX UNLOADED ALL 4 OF THE MGMNT TEAM CAME ON THE AIRPLANE. AT THAT TIME NOBODY SAID ANYTHING; I JUST WENT ABOUT MY POSTFLT DUTIES. ALSO THEY WERE TALKING TO THE FLT ATTENDANT; I WAS UNSURE OF WHAT THEY SAID. ONCE I WAS FINISHED; I WENT UP TO THEM AND ASKED MIGHT I HELP YOU WITH SOMETHING? THE LADY SAID NO; WE ARE JUST HERE TO HELP YOU WITH WHATEVER YOU NEED. I THANKED THEM FOR THEIR CONCERN AND SAID IT WAS NICE TO SEE MGMNT COME DOWN TO SEE WHAT REALLY GOES ON OUT HERE ON LINE. I ASKED THE MAINT SUPVR; WHY THE AIRPLANE NEEDED TO GO TO THE HANGAR? HE SAID THEY THOUGHT THE GEAR WENT UP HARD WITH A THUMP. MAINT CTL THOUGHT THE FO SAID SOMETHING ABOUT A THUMP WHEN THE GEAR CAME UP WHEN HE CALLED INBOUND. AT THIS POINT I FELT A LITTLE PRESSURE OF THEM WATCHING EVERYTHING WE DID. BUT I DID NOT THINK TOO MUCH ABOUT IT AT THAT TIME. IT MAKES YOU FEEL A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 473757: I GOT TO THE AIRPLANE APPROX 50 MINS PRIOR TO DEP AND DID A WALKAROUND MYSELF. DURING PREFLT I NOTICED THE L NOSEWHEEL HAD A FLAT SPOT ON IT AND ALSO A SCREW WAS BACKING OUT ABOUT 1/4 OF AN INCH ON THE OUTBOARD L FLAP. I WENT INSIDE TO CALL MAINT. BY THAT TIME THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS ONBOARD AND SHE ADVISED SHE NOTICED HER HEADREST WAS LOOSE. FO TOLD ME HE ALSO SAW A FLAT SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE R NOSEWHEEL. AS MAINT WAS WORKING ON THE AIRPLANE AND AROUND 30 MINS LATER; THE SAME 4 MGMNT PEOPLE CAME OUT AGAIN. MAINT CAME UP ON THE AIRPLANE AND ASKED ME WHAT WAS THE PROB. I TOLD HIM WE HAD A FEW WRITE-UPS AND THAT MAINT WAS CHANGING THE NOSE TIRES. AT THAT TIME I NOTICED ANOTHER PROB. I COULD NOT GET MY COCKPIT SEAT TO STAY IN A LOCKED POS. SO I CALLED MAINT CTL AND TOLD THEM OF THIS PROB. SO NOW I HAD TO GET THE CLIPBOARD FROM ONE OF THE MAINT GUYS. AS I WENT BACK THEY WERE ALL STANDING IN MY WAY AS I WAS TRYING TO DO MY JOB. I FINALLY GOT THE CLIPBOARD AND SAT IN ROW 1 WRITING THIS NEW PROB UP. NOW I HAD THESE GUYS LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER AND WATCHING EVERYTHING WE DID. A FEW MINS LATER SUPVR KEPT ASKING THE FLT ATTENDANT IF SHE WAS READY TO BOARD. SHE TOLD HIM NOT YET I'M NOT SURE IF MAINT IS DONE YET. I INTERRUPTED AND SAID WHEN MAINT IS FINISHED AND THEY ARE DONE WITH THE PAPERWORK AND THEY GIVE THE OK WE WILL BOARD. THE FLT ATTENDANT SAID HE ASKED HER 6 TIMES IF SHE WAS READY EVEN AFTER SHE EXPLAINED SHE WASN'T SURE IF THEY WERE DONE WITH THE AIRPLANE YET. AT THIS TIME THEY WERE HURRYING US UP. ONCE THEY WERE FINISHED WE BOARDED UP; FINISHED THE PAPERWORK AND CLOSED THE DOOR. AT THAT TIME; I SAID; WAIT; I NEVER GOT TO PREFLT THE MAINT CLIPBOARD. THEY TOOK IT ONCE THEY CAME OUT TO FIX THE AIRPLANE BEFORE I COULD LOOK AT IT. I ALMOST FORGOT TO DO THAT BECAUSE THESE GUYS WERE OUT HERE INTERFERING; ASKING QUESTIONS AND IN THE WAY. WE STOPPED RIGHT THERE AND I REVIEWED THE CLIPBOARD; BRIEFED THE CREW ON THE DEFERRALS AND FINISHED ALL OF THE CHKS. THEN WE WERE UNDERWAY. THE FLT PUSHED BACK 24 MINS LATE. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THEY CAME OUT. I STARTED FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE AND UNDER PRESSURE. THEY WERE ASKING QUESTIONS AND TRYING TO HURRY US UP. THEY WERE DEFINITELY INTERFERING WITH OUR JOBS. NOW I REALLY THOUGHT THIS WAS A SAFETY CONCERN. THERE WAS NO NEED FOR THIS KIND OF SUBTLE INTIMIDATION. CAN YOU SAY PLT PUSHING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 473764: ON TKOF ROLL AT AROUND 120 KTS A BIRD ALMOST HIT THE FRONT WINDOW. IT WENT UP AND OVER AND THERE WAS NO SOUND OF IT HITTING AND ALL ENG PARAMETERS LOOKED NORMAL. LATER ON; THE FO AND I TALKED AND THOUGHT THAT POSSIBLE IT STILL COULD HAVE STRUCK THE AIRPLANE IN THE REAR. WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD GIVE MAINT A CALL INFLT TO LET THEM KNOW OF A POSSIBLE BIRD STRIKE. ON TOUCHDOWN IN CVG WHEN THE NOSEWHEEL TOUCHED THE RWY WE HEARD AND FELT THE NOSEWHEEL SHIMMY AT THE HIGHER SPDS AND IT DECREASED AS WE SLOWED. I ASKED THE FO; DO YOU FEEL THAT? HE SAID YES. AT THE GATE THE FO CALLED MAINT AND ADVISED THEM OF THE SHIMMY ALSO. AGAIN 4 MGMNT PEOPLE MET US. THIS TIME IT WAS CHIEF PLT; THE SAME MAINT SUPVR THAT MET US BEFORE AND 2 OTHER MGMNT TYPE. AFTER THE PAX GOT OFF THE AIRPLANE CHIEF PLT CAME RIGHT INTO THE COCKPIT AND ASKED WHAT WAS THE PROB. I TOLD HIM OF THE POSSIBLE BIRD STRIKE AND HE AGREED. I THEN TOLD HIM OF THE NOSEWHEEL SHIMMY ON LNDG AND HE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. AS THE FLT ATTENDANT GOT OFF THE AIRPLANE THEY PULLED HER ASIDE AND WERE TALKING TO HER FOR AWHILE. I WAS NEVER ABLE TO CONFER WITH HER OVER THE CONVERSATION; SHE LEFT TOO QUICKLY. THE MGMNT TEAM STOOD AROUND AND WAITED UNTIL WE LEFT THE GATE AREA BEFORE THEY WENT ON THEIR WAY. FOR A 3RD TIME IN A ROW I WAS MET PLANESIDE AT CVG. AT THIS POINT I WAS REALLY FEELING TARGETED AND PRESSURED. ALMOST MAKING ME SECOND-GUESS MYSELF ON ANY OF MY WRITE-UPS. THEY WATCHED WITH A CLOSE EYE EVERYTHING WE WERE DOING AND WATCHED THE FO DO HIS POSTFLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 474551: THE EVENT DESCRIBED BELOW OCCURRED ON DAY 3 OF A 4 DAY TRIP. WE HAD BEEN FLYING IN AND OUT OF CVG FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP. DURING MOST OF THESE OUT AND BACKS; WE HAD DISCOVERED SEVERAL MAINT DISCREPANCIES. ALL OF THESE ITEMS WERE WRITTEN-UP IN THE ACFT LOG. DURING THE COURSE OF THIS TRIP; SOME ITEMS WERE FIXED; AND SOME WERE DEFERRED AS PER OUR COMPANY'S MEL/CDL PROGRAM. TOWARD THE END OF THE FIRST DAY WE NOTICED THAT EVERY TIME WE ARRIVED IN CVG THE ACFT WAS MET BY SEVERAL PERSONS FROM MGMNT. THIS GROUP CONSISTED OF A MAINT SUPVR; A CHIEF PLT AND SEVERAL OPS SUPVRS. SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THIS GROUP WOULD BOARD OUR ACFT. ONE OF THEM WOULD ASK WHAT THE MAINT PROB WAS AND IF THEY COULD 'HELP.' I HAVE NEVER KNOWN MGMNT TO MEET AN ACFT ON EVERY INBOUND LEG FOR THIS MANY CONSECUTIVE DAYS. AS A CREW WE FOUND THIS BEHAVIOR FROM MGMNT TO BE A FORM OF INTIMIDATION REGARDING MAINT WRITE-UPS. I FELT THAT OUR JUDGEMENT WAS IN QUESTION BY THEIR PRESENCE AND QUESTIONING. SINCE WE WERE DISTRACTED DURING BOTH POSTFLT AND PREFLT PHASES IN THE CASE OF A QUICK TURN AROUND; I FEEL THAT SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED. FINALLY BY DAY 3 OF THIS HARASSMENT; THE LEVEL OF CONCERN AND STRESS HAD REACHED A HIGHER LEVEL. WE HAD REALIZED THAT OUR LAST OUT AND BACK TO CVG HAD GONE LESS THAN PERFECT. SEVERAL ROUTINE TASK AND CHKLIST WERE ALMOST OMITTED BECAUSE OF OUR CONCERN OVER THESE EVENTS. IT WAS BECAUSE OF GOOD CRM AND COORDINATED CREW EFFORT THAT THESE MISTAKES WERE CAUGHT AND FURTHER PROBS PREVENTED. UPON OUR ARR IN CVG; AFTER A BRIEF DISCUSSION ABOUT OUR PERFORMANCE; THE CAPT DECIDED THAT BECAUSE OF THIS BREACH IN SAFETY; THAT HE WAS NO LONGER FIT TO FLY. WHEN HE INFORMED MGMNT OF HIS DECISION; HE WAS ADVISED THAT IF HE DIDN'T FINISH HIS TRIP; HIS JOB TERMINATION PROCESS WOULD BEGIN. THE CAPT THEN MADE THE DECISION TO LEAVE THE ARPT TO PROTECT HIMSELF; HIS CREW; AND HIS PAX. WITH ALL THE DISTRACTIONS A PROFESSIONAL FLC FACES EVERY DAY; I FIND IT INCOMPREHENSIBLE THAT WE CAN NOW ADD OUR OWN MGMNT'S PLANESIDE HARASSMENT TO THE LIST.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.

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