Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, December 1, 1994 TAG: 9412010090
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
DATELINE: CHICAGO LENGTH: Medium
American Eagle, the commuter affiliate of American Airlines, said the pilots demanded more weather safety information before they would take off from O'Hare Airport on Sunday in ATR turboprops.
Three other pilots already had balked at taking off from O'Hare, also citing concerns about flying the French- and Italian-made ATR in foul weather, American Eagle said. Those flights also were canceled.
(American Eagle flies three flights daily between Roanoke Regional Airport and American Airlines' hub at Raleigh-Durham, N.C., but does not use either type of the ATR aircraft on any of the flights. None of the five regional airlines serving the airport use ATRs, airport spokesman Mark Courtney said Wednesday.)
``No one refused to fly,'' said Bob Baker, chairman of AMR-American Eagle, of Sunday's cancellations. ``It's like when a pilot says there's a mechanical problem with his airplane. When a pilot says, `I think there's something wrong with this airplane; let's check it out,' that's not a refusal to fly. I think that's a legitimate function of command.''
The American Eagle ATR-72 that went down in Roselawn, Ind., on Oct. 31 was flying to Chicago in freezing, rainy weather when it plunged to the ground. All 68 people aboard were killed.
Federal investigators have not determined the cause of crash, but pilots have suggested that ice on the wings might have been responsible.
After the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration issued rules aimed at reducing the time ATR planes spend flying in icy weather.
The Airline Pilots Association said this week it would ``back up 100 percent the decision of its members not to fly in conditions that they feel are unsafe.''
Staff writer Greg Edwards contributed information to this story.
by CNB