Could this be a harbinger?

I don't know if this is DEI related or not but it does seem like somebody unqualified to finish the job was at the helm. At what point did this pilot realize that landing the airplane safely was above their skill level? Why did the pilot accept the role, this particular flight plan, if landing at the destination was not in their skillset?
This is where we are heading when we continue to pretend that Kamala Harris is ready to lead our country out of the chaos brought on by the policies/leadership of the Biden/Harris ticket that was swept into office in 2020. To me, the world-the universe gives us hints and clues all the time but far too often we miss them. This is one of those moments, this is what is going to happen if we elect Kamala in fact this is exactly what happened with Joe Biden. Joe Biden found his way into the presidency, an akward path. Looking back, Joe had plageriazed and spoke of academic merits unfounded and today we see Joe unable to safely land unable to complete is term. Basement Biden should never have been at the helm and now we are considering repeating that same mistake. Kamala cannot safely land this country to prosperity.

Hey, I’m really sorry folks but due to me not having the proper qualification to land in Jackson Hole, we need to divert to Salt Lake City, Utah. We’ll keep you posted on the next steps.

Harbinger?

OH MY, I have to shout it out for all of you to get it. What makes you think that if Kamala gets in it's Kamala that runs the country? You've all been shouting about just who is ruling behind Bidens back so how is Kamala any different?

From the very article you reference:

"The key question that arose from this incident was: How did a pilot end up on a flight to an airport he wasn’t qualified to land at? A scheduling error seems unlikely. Even if the airline made a mistake, along the lines of when American Airlines flew a plane to Hawaii that wasn’t qualified for overwater operations, I fully imagine that the pilot would reject the assignment.

Perhaps not being qualified wasn’t a formal statement, as much as an expression that the captain didn’t feel confident at the controls in the particular wind scenario that later led to a bumpy landing. Jackson Hole is at an elevation of over 6,500 feet and surrounded by the Teton Mountains, and is known for its tricky approaches.

The pilot also may have encountered higher ‘minimums’ than expected on approach to the airport given their qualifications and current conditions at the time of arrival. Clearly a decision was made based on safety, though the communication wasn’t reassuring."

The fact that your mind jumped straight to DEI says something...

Yet another reason I don't want to Fly.

Why are pilots allowed to fly certain planes, if they don't have all the qualifications?

Do we have jet fighter pilots that have limitations on where they can fly?

The fact that your mind jumped straight to DEI says something...

a reply to: TinfoilTophat

I quashed the idea that the OP was about DEI.

The pilot also may have encountered higher ‘minimums’ than expected on approach to the airport given their qualifications and current conditions at the time of arrival. Clearly a decision was made based on safety, though the communication wasn’t reassuring."

Of course I read that and conclude that is the public relations best effort. Bottom line is the pilot was not qualified to land at Jackson hole wether by certification or personal belief the pilot should not have been at the helm if landing at Jackson Hole may have been too difficult.

a reply to: fringeofthefringe

To me, it sounds like the pilot acted responsibly.

He may have been pressured to bend the rules by the airline, but once he was in the air, took the initiative to comply fully with the rules, in line with his conscience.

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: fringeofthefringe

To me, it sounds like the pilot acted responsibly.

He may have been pressured to bend the rules by the airline, but once he was in the air, took the initiative to comply fully with the rules, in line with his conscience.

The flight on August 8th, 2024, seemed routine until it approached its descent into Jackson Hole. As passengers prepared for landing, a passenger reports that the pilot announced:

Hey, I’m really sorry folks but due to me not having the proper qualification to land in Jackson Hole, we need to divert to Salt Lake City, Utah. We’ll keep you posted on the next steps.

Then maybe preflight he should have made an announcement:
"I just want all of you to know if the conditions are not ideal I will divert to Salt Lake City where another pilot will take the helm and land at Jackson Hole for you. Thanks for flying Alaskan Air"

originally posted by: crayzeed
OH MY, I have to shout it out for all of you to get it. What makes you think that if Kamala gets in it's Kamala that runs the country? You've all been shouting about just who is ruling behind Bidens back so how is Kamala any different?

Do you really think that matters ??

Who ever in the hell is in Charge has Screwed the USA up that is a fact .

And with her In Office they will continue to be in charge.

Comparing Kamala to an unqualified pilot is accurate. Biden is unqualified too but in different ways. Doesn't matter because The Shadow Government is running the show anyway. 😃

originally posted by: TinfoilTophat

The fact that your mind jumped straight to DEI says something...

that we have been paying attention? Or are you going to explain why using DEI will get the best of the best?

Well, for the record, there are no special certifications required to land at JAC (Jackson Hole Airport). There are though a number of special requirements, and it is not an easy airport to operate into or out of.

Whatever the case, if the pilot was certified to fly the aircraft, then he had all of the certifications necessary to land at JAC. In other words, if he was type rated for the aircraft he was flying, then he was legal to land at JAC. So, there's more to this story than is being told by the media, AND the pilot didn't make an accurate statement to his passengers.

The Pilot in Command (PIC) is in command of the aircraft. If he is not 'comfortable' landing the aircraft and/or does not feel like he can perform a safe landing, then it is fully within his right to divert to an alternate facility. However, this is much different than not having the proper "qualifications" to land at JAC. Here's what I suspect happened...

1. If the quoted statement is accurate, then it would appear to me the pilot was angry about something. No pilot in his right mind would make a statement like this to his PAX. So, something else was going on. This could have been some sort of a labor issue, or any number of other things.

2. JAC is not an easy airport to land at. I grew up in WY, and am familiar with JAC. The runway there is about 6,500 feet, so depending on the type of aircraft, this is pretty short. A "precision" approach must be flown into JAC. What this means is, the landing is basically an instrument guided landing, or an "instrument approach". The reason for this is, because the runway is so short and the airfield is at a high altitude, approach speed minimums will be higher. Wind, weather and visibility are also factors. Much of this information is spelled out on the approach plate for the airport (basically the instruction manual for a particular airfield, every airport has one). The pilot may not have been familiar with JAC before he was sent there. (Note - All pilots are recommended to become thoroughly familiar with JAC before attempting to land there, but there is no special certification). The pilot may have realized this late in the flight and not been comfortable with attempting to land there. If this was the case, then his decision was the correct one.

3. If you couple #1 and #2 above together, and add in a tired crew who got dispatched to an unfamiliar airport late in the day, and who knows, they might have even been told they had to go somewhere else after JAC too...what you wind up with is a guy up front who just says "Fook It! I'm done!" (Yes, it was probably wasn't a good career move, but he probably didn't care at that point).

It's kind of curious they didn't divert to a closer airport (like RKS), but they probably were looking out for the passengers being able to get an alternate.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Thanks for the input, really good backround information. Seems like a tough place to land, I wonder how often pilots bail and go to another airport to switch pilots? The article was pretty clear so this pilot saying he wasn't properly qualified is interesting, then the Airline PR cleaned it up.
Bringing the harbinger back into play just like running for president if you want to be a Pilot in Command then you have to have the confidence and ability to get the job done not divert the flight and tag out...have another pilot take the helm and land three hours later. That is what we are getting with Kamala. That is what I see foreshadowed here. As Xuenchen said there are puppet masters calling the shots too but nonetheless Kamala is not going to make a strong, effective Commander in Chief. This is a warning of having someone unqualified at the helm.

I think she will be worse because she's the same as biden except she's in her mind enough to be s potentially better puppet.... and even more clown like lol

a reply to: fringeofthefringe

Not many, BUT...people need to understand there are two (2) different kinds of pilots who land there. There are private/executive pilots who land at JAC, and there are commercial airline pilots who land there.

Executive pilots are much more likely to study the exact requirements to land at JAC, vs. commercial pilots who are not so experienced, AND whom might have to go on 'another' leg AFTER JAC.

I am not sticking up for this particular pilot; he made a serious mistake, public relations wise, but I DO know the area, and the airport, and I DO know what it's like to fly in WY.

They could have diverted closer, like Rock Springs (RKS) (with a 10,000 foot runway), BUT their passengers would have had no connection options, thus SLC.