Some possible interview questions!

mrivc211

Well-Known Member
I thought it would be a good idea to perhaps post some questions that might be asked on an interview someday.

Here's one:

Your on the IFR approach into some uncontrolled field and your at minimums but your captain says he is going to proceed with the approach even though nothing is in sight! You have made your intention that a missed approach should be executed but he still will not listen. What do you do?
 
Here's another:

It's the first flight of the morning. You've just completed IOE training and have just started working the line. The captain comes into the cockpit and the smell of alcohol is without a doubt on his breath. What do you do?
 
Im going to have to go with the oxygen tank again.
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Good idea of a thread mrivc211.

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Your on the IFR approach into some uncontrolled field and your at minimums but your captain says he is going to proceed with the approach even though nothing is in sight! You have made your intention that a missed approach should be executed but he still will not listen. What do you do?

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Tell the captain that we should go missed. If he doesn't agree, transmit that you're going missed.


[ QUOTE ]

It's the first flight of the morning. You've just completed IOE training and have just started working the line. The captain comes into the cockpit and the smell of alcohol is without a doubt on his breath. What do you do?

[/ QUOTE ]

Ask the captain if he would like to take a sick day. If he declines you MUST report him to the proper authorities. If something goes down and it's found that you as a crew member knew about the situation and did nothing about it, you can be punished for someone else's actions.
 
This thread is already under way in the pro pilot corner.

The first one, going below minimums. The "correct" answer (and there really is no correct answer to these type of questions) is to look at the captain and make sure he/she is not slumped over the yoke! In other words, confirm that the captain is not incapacitated.

After that it gets creative. No one really advocates a fight for controls at less than 200' AGL. But MAKE SURE you are being heard and that the decision to keep going is NOT to your liking!

This actually happened to me once. The captain said "continuing" at minimums. I said, "continuing where? it's all fog!" he said, "we can make it." I said, "Come on <name withheld>, this is stupid, lets get out of here." His reply was, 'Ok you're right, call the miss, set max power, flaps 17, positive rate gear up. Hey I'm sorry John, that was crazy!"

I was pretty surprised that it happened. It's something that you never expect from a pro pilot.
 
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This actually happened to me once. The captain said "continuing" at minimums. I said, "continuing where? it's all fog!" he said, "we can make it." I said, "Come on <name withheld>, this is stupid, lets get out of here." His reply was, 'Ok you're right, call the miss, set max power, flaps 17, positive rate gear up. Hey I'm sorry John, that was crazy!"

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That's a lot to happen from 200 feet down. If that conversation really happens you'd be doing the go-around at 10 feet.
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If this situation happens, call "no contact, missed approach" at DA. If the captain does not respond, look at them, and say loudly "MISSED APPROACH, MISSED APPROACH, MISSED APPROACH." Hopefully at this time they will react. If not, they might be so focused on the approach they have blocked everything out.

Now at this point you have two options. Attempt to take controls, which really isn't recommended. You don't want to be fighting for the controls at less than 200 feet AGL. Ideally, if you began the approach legally per Part 121, the clouds and visibility were above minimums to start, so you'll probably break out at some point (you hope!). So I'd put my hands on the controls and start secondarily flying the airplane. You'll notice if the captain is still flying based on the control movements. If they are driving the plane into the ground (ie NOT flaring/flying), fly the plane into the flare and landing.

Why do I say not execute the go-around? Well at this point in the approach you are so low that if you decide to add power and pitch up, the captain may fight you and push DOWN. This would mean go-around power and a nose-down attitude, fighting for the controls. This is not a situation I'd like to find myself in.

This is not one of those "never happens" situations. I had something similar happen, but not for a public forum. Basically what I'm saying is be ready for anything, and don't be afraid to do things that will save BOTH your asses and the asses of the however-many-folks in back. By saying the above (missed approach many times, clearly and loudly) you also have it on the CVR that you recognized the situation and as PNF took action. That is important should the outcome of the approach be not what you hope.


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Ok, a few good questions now:

1) You are walking down the street on a layover, and notice your captain walking towards you waving to get your attention, wearing a dress. What would you say?

2) You are at cruise and look out, noticing a LOT of ice on the wings. You have the deice and anti-ice equipment on, but it seems like too much for the system to handle. You also notice airspeed decaying. What do you say?

The captain doesn't respond. What do you say?

Airspeed is now 25 knots below what it was earlier in cruise. The captain says everything is fine, "I've seen worse than this!" What do you say?

35 knots below cruise. What do you say?

3) During the takeoff run, when the captain is supposed to call for "my controls" he does not. You are now at 90 knots, and V1 is 120 knots. What do you do?
 
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'Ok you're right, call the miss, set max power, flaps 17

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Beech 1900??


Matt's questions

1) Hi Maam... or joan, or kim, or what ever her name was..
2)When that happened to me, I said "Ummm Captain, I think we in big trouble... Let's go play somewhere else please."
2A) I say "folks, from the flightdeck... We're expecting some turbulence of the shimmying kind.. Please check your seat belts.
2B) It's time to get the newspaper out of the captains face and express your pucker factor post haste.
3)When would (SOP) a captain call for "my controls" on the take-off run? If it's his take off, he has them. If it's your take-off, you should have them once you're lined up on the runway. If it's your take-off and the captain initiates the power-up, you say "isn't this my take-off boss??"
 
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[ QUOTE ]
This actually happened to me once. The captain said "continuing" at minimums. I said, "continuing where? it's all fog!" he said, "we can make it." I said, "Come on <name withheld>, this is stupid, lets get out of here." His reply was, 'Ok you're right, call the miss, set max power, flaps 17, positive rate gear up. Hey I'm sorry John, that was crazy!"

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a lot to happen from 200 feet down. If that conversation really happens you'd be doing the go-around at 10 feet.
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John can talk fast. In fact when I fly with him he can point out 3 thing I am doing wrong before I can put my soda done, hang up my cell phone, swollow my wopper and call the missed the approch
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I do not know why he gets so excited
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[ QUOTE ]

3)When would (SOP) a captain call for "my controls" on the take-off run? If it's his take off, he has them. If it's your take-off, you should have them once you're lined up on the runway. If it's your take-off and the captain initiates the power-up, you say "isn't this my take-off boss??"

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On our plane we have a tiller, so the captain has control up to 80 knots. I call "80 knots" and if I'm flying say "My controls", if the captain is flying he/she says "My controls." So if the captain does not say it, what do you do?
 
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3) During the takeoff run, when the captain is supposed to call for "my controls" he does not. You are now at 90 knots, and V1 is 120 knots. What do you do?

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I would call out (with a little more emphasis than the 80 kt. callout), "90 knots, confirm your controls".
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

3)When would (SOP) a captain call for "my controls" on the take-off run? If it's his take off, he has them. If it's your take-off, you should have them once you're lined up on the runway. If it's your take-off and the captain initiates the power-up, you say "isn't this my take-off boss??"

[/ QUOTE ]

On our plane we have a tiller, so the captain has control up to 80 knots. I call "80 knots" and if I'm flying say "My controls", if the captain is flying he/she says "My controls." So if the captain does not say it, what do you do?

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Hmmmm not that I'm really qualified to answer this question with all my whoping 175 hrs. tt but I'd again say "my controls" and await a response if there was no response from the captain I'd continue letting the captain fly the departure and when we were above 10,000 ft.(sterile cockpit) ask the captain why he or she didn't say "your airplane" and release the control of the yoke for deptarture.

I think that at 80 kts. and V1 speed quickly approaching it is not the time to argue or fight about who gets to fly the plane on departure save it for less busy times in the cockpit like when the plane is on auto and the captain is reading the paper or doin the crossword puzzle.
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Matthew
 
Matt - FYI we did the go around at about 120' AGL - the rabbit was barely visible in the fog. There was nothing else in sight.

Remember that we call minimums (and you should be too) about 50' higher to allow for conversational delay.
 
Matt,

In all the times I've JS on larger airplanes (with tillers), I've never seen anyone do that.

Does the Saab have some directional control problems on take-off below 80 knots??
 
chprplt,

I'm not sure, that's just how the procedure is set. I have controlled the aircraft at speeds slower than that after landing. I believe it is simply due to an abort... should we abort for anything below 80 knots, it's easier to abort since the captain still has the controls. Above 80 knots, considerations must be made to what exactly you are aborting for.

Another consideration is that our CTOT system (sets takeoff torque) doesn't always come up in sync, so that can create directional control problems that are easily settled with the tiller.
 
[ QUOTE ]
After that it gets creative. No one really advocates a fight for controls at less than 200' AGL. But MAKE SURE you are being heard and that the decision to keep going is NOT to your liking!

[/ QUOTE ]

I asked this question to my CFI, who has a hubby in the airlines. She said that they'd rather hear you say you would fly the aircraft into the ground together as a team rather than fight the captain at low alt. But no matter what, like Mr. Tenney said, make sure your voice is heard. It's an interesting question, and sorry if it was presumptuous for me to add, not being a pro pilot yet.

My question is, what if the captain you contradicted then later after the flight, assuming you survived, makes life...er difficult for you? (ie retaliates with a bad eval or starts writing you up for petty things).
 
I asked my interview counselor about the busting minimums questions and he said unequivocally that you should assume captain incapacitation and take the controls.

Considering the great divergence of opinion on this matter, do the airlines not have a procedure for this kind of a situation?

Ray
 
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