GetRealDude

I appreciate and applaud the efforts of ALPA National and ALPA FDX on their efforts to mitigate the significant threat these batteries pose for pax and cargo carriers.

The NTSB, FAA, ICAO, Boeing, Airbus, all carriers, and international aviation organizations have concluded the threat is real and imminent.

Pax carriers now have clear directives not to carry lithium-ion batteries. Shippers will simply switch to cargo carriers as a result. More DG freight with no verified solution is headed our way.

I think it's time for the front line pilots - particularly Captains - to stand up and say enough is enough. UPS has already experienced two hull losses and crewmembers deaths due to lithium-ion battery runaway discharges. How many more aircraft and crewmembers must be lost due to inadequate safety measures?

The time has come.
Without proper packaging and disclosure protocols from high volume shippers and a lack of suitable protection measures ... the time has come to bump the freight.

I've had numerous discussions with fellow captains and first officers who agree the time has come. I've also been assured by ALPA reps that they will fully support Captain's authority to do so.

The question becomes - do you believe ALPA has your back? Does the overwhelming industry conclusions on safety threats support a Captain bumping the freight? Are you willing to fall on your sword for safety in your workplace and put your job on the line?

I need to have a few more conversations and do some soul searching before I take that step ... FDX loves swinging a heavy hammer and taking prisoners. We shall see.

What say you?

TonyC

Which freight?



I'm sure you read this earlier today:

Excerpt from Chairman's Message, 4/6/16

"Unfortunately, ICAO Section 2 batteries are not tracked, so we as pilots have no information on the quantity or location of any of these—potentially they could number in the tens of thousands on any individual flight."

As usual, our greatest threat is UNdeclared hazardous materials.






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Pakagecheck

Totally agree with this!! I just had a bud from UPS tell me they just had can catch on fire in Cologne going to be sorted about a week ago. It wasn't batteries by themselves but in some type of device.

GetRealDude

Which freight?
Exactly. That's the dilemma.
At the very least, any Li-Ion listed on DG should be considered to bump.

It's a precarious situation - bulk batteries or batteries in equipment. Section 1, section 2.
Who knows? The threat outweighs the benefit - for us. Profit outweighs the threat - for the shippers and company.

Maybe the solution is ocean shipping and trucks only. Time definite shipping of these batteries may need a paradigm shift - no airplanes.

Does an airplane need to crash into a metro area or a school to make the changes necessary?

This is the single biggest threat to safety in the entire industry. ALPA should be much more aggressive beyond the efforts already made IMO.

An industry wide ban is the only true solution to mitigate the risk/threat.

Sadly, more incidents or accidents will take place before effective change. As usual, written in blood.

TonyC

What about the battery in your personal laptop computer?

The Company-required iPad?

The phone in your pocket?


Much needs to be fixed, but let's not in our haste do something stupid.

We've already proven we can change the rules when a need is identified AND acknowledged. No more self-balancing scooters -- they are now forbidden. The next step is a threat assessment by The Company, in cooperation with usALPA, to identify threats and strategies for the batteries traveling now undeclared. It's just wrong that we have to beg The Company to take the necessary steps.







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CloudSailor

Agreed TonyC.

By now, I would hope every single one of our pilots, and all other cargo pilots, have filled out the Call to Action on this deadly issue.

I applaud our MEC Chair for making this a top priority.