Do you notify?

I

Inthemuck

Guest
Searched but couldn’t quite find good resources. Guy at our local field has always been a bit grandiose. Has a couple nice planes. Very focused on bigger faster higher. Has the bankroll to get there too. Well apparently a few months ago had some kind of breakdown and ended up spending some time in inpatient psych. Got put on meds and let out. Proceeds to continue to fly family and self ect. Recently really went off the deep end at airport very delusional and hallucinating. Stating he can hear the earth talking through his feet. Meds don’t allow him to hear the earth so he stopped them. Fortunately gets recommitted and is cooking away with the hopes of getting his crap straight.
Question a couple of guys had is that if he doesn’t report his meds or the inpatient stays on his next medical- how will they ever know??!! Anymore I check FlightAware before going up just to make sure this guy isn’t in the sky while I am.
He should not be behind a yoke. At least he should be evaluated through the FAA aeromedical channels properly and let them decide.
He’s a smart enough guy, when not delusional or manic, to probably be aware of this and will likely lie on next medical. But things like this shouldn’t have to wait until the next medical either.
Do you place a call to the FSDO, tell airport manager about it, or just let it go and cross fingers. Really it’s up to family to deal but they are half clueless or motives not aligned with safety. Real sticky situation here.
 
I like the FSDO approach.

It would hopefully trigger a more operational approach. A PILOT would come interview you. What did you hear exactly? Where did you hear it? What did you see? Whom else could I ask? Etc.

Then they (FAA PILOT) would go interview the guy, Already knowing what they had disclosed to the FAA or not.

No invasion of privacy. Pretty straight forward. No admin weenies in rooms without windows making determinations about this guys ability to fly. But rather a semi local current INSTRUCTOR PILOT who actually meets him AND the accuser in person.

Two determinations need to be made at least.
 
I'm happy to see pilots willing to call out those who may be a danger to themselves and others. The MYOB attitude is sickening.
There are a few recent tragedies where those knowing the, um, perp, have said, "Yeah, I could see it coming ...", though in different words. But they did nothing.
I am not my brother's keeper, but I'll watch out for me and mine.
 
Tools said:
I like the FSDO approach.

It would hopefully trigger a more operational approach. A PILOT would come interview you. What did you hear exactly? Where did you hear it? What did you see? Whom else could I ask? Etc.

Then they (FAA PILOT) would go interview the guy, Already knowing what they had disclosed to the FAA or not.

No invasion of privacy. Pretty straight forward. No admin weenies in rooms without windows making determinations about this guys ability to fly. But rather a semi local current INSTRUCTOR PILOT who actually meets him AND the accuser in person.

Two determinations need to be made at least.
Click to expand...
...would that i worked that way. I can hear my local FSDO guys running for the door. "We are not doctors...go talk to the RFS"...."I don't want to get my arse sh__canned...."

Use the hotline. At the back side of the hot line is triage guy who decides to which division this goes to....and me personaly I'd never make such a report without the protections of the hotline.
 
Second the hotline.

Rich people have good lawyers, and can track down the open source, and sue you.

You should win, but if his lawyers are better than yours, you may lose. Can you afford lawyers good enough to be sure of winning?


At 6 PM, Christmas eve, the president of a company listed on the NYSE called the president of my employer, at home, and requested that I be fired.

Fortunately, the president of my employer took my side, the issue was settled to my satisfaction, not the other guy, and never went to court.
 
geezer said:
Second the hotline.

Rich people have good lawyers, and can track down the open source, and sue you.

You should win, but if his lawyers are better than yours, you may lose. Can you afford lawyers good enough to be sure of winning?


At 6 PM, Christmas eve, the president of a company listed on the NYSE called the president of my employer, at home, and requested that I be fired.

Fortunately, the president of my employer took my side, the issue was settled to my satisfaction, not the other guy, and never went to court.
Click to expand...
Even "winning" can be losing. I "won" a case in the late 1990s, but it cost me $95K in nineties dollars. Not much of a win.
 
Inthemuck said:
Really it’s up to family to deal but they are half clueless or motives not aligned with safety. Real sticky situation here.
Click to expand...

This might be my first approach if I knew the family well enough to have this type of disscussion with them. Perhaps there is a sane one in the group.

I understand that many family members will take the position that the pilot is a grown man and he is responsible for his own actions. While that is true the lives of others might be horribly damaged by his wreckless behaviour. A bit of video proof might go a long ways to convince him/them that he needs help ...
 
Back
Top