Missing Alaska pilot has crash history

[Rizer]

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/dispatches/news/6532-missing-alaska-pilot-has-crash-history

Alletto tried to throttle the plane through the soft mud, causing the tail to go airborne. The still spinning propeller then hit the ground and the plane came to a stop. The group worked two hours to dig the plane out of the mud. Afterward, Alletto said he would be unable to continue on, citing FAA rules banning the transport of passengers in the damaged plane. The pilot, however, later changed his mind, deciding he would either obtain a replacement propeller or transport the hunters on a different plane. But in the end, to the hunters' dismay, Alletto attempted to fix the bent propeller blades himself.

"Marco Alletto found a medium sized rock and beat on the ends of the propeller. Marco Alletto pounded on the blades of the propeller over and over again, until Marco Alletto was convinced that the propeller blades were somewhat straight," states the lawsuit, which goes on to describe how Alletto also used a pocket knife to shave off any rough edges on the blades.

 

[ppragman]

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/dispatches/news/6532-missing-alaska-pilot-has-crash-history

Alletto tried to throttle the plane through the soft mud, causing the tail to go airborne. The still spinning propeller then hit the ground and the plane came to a stop. The group worked two hours to dig the plane out of the mud. Afterward, Alletto said he would be unable to continue on, citing FAA rules banning the transport of passengers in the damaged plane. The pilot, however, later changed his mind, deciding he would either obtain a replacement propeller or transport the hunters on a different plane. But in the end, to the hunters' dismay, Alletto attempted to fix the bent propeller blades himself.

"Marco Alletto found a medium sized rock and beat on the ends of the propeller. Marco Alletto pounded on the blades of the propeller over and over again, until Marco Alletto was convinced that the propeller blades were somewhat straight," states the lawsuit, which goes on to describe how Alletto also used a pocket knife to shave off any rough edges on the blades.

Sounds about right. There's a lot of pressure on you to perform up there. Not only is there the company trying to get you to do stuff, the passengers are pushy and expect it to be like air travel in Tulsa, and the culture among aviators encourages it with the guys who make it in the most being revered and all. Doesn't surprise me at all. This doesn't mean the guy was a bad pilot, or had terrible judgment, he just fell victim to some of hazardous attitudes, and did so at the wrong time.