A B757-200 first officer's report on having to deal with an irrational, ill tempered captain who was...

Attributes
ACN	475128
Time
Date	200006
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : takeoff roll ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	475128
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : eicas other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	other other Other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : briefing performance deficiency : unqualified personnel
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

MEL'ed APU. Ground power plug was pulled before external power switch selected off, which leads to a 1 to 1.5 second power interruption before right engine generator takes buses. This resulted in 6 EICAS status level messages, including 3 related to flight controls (rvd and elev). On the inbound leg to lax, the captain had assumed an intimidating and threatening manner as I had tried to help him with a changed arrival and approach and runway. He fell behind the aircraft, but instead of accepting assistance, he began to 'compete' and decided he had to prove he was better than I am. He became more confrontational and angrier than anyone I had ever flown with before and my attempts at defusing the situation actually worsened it. Our company teaches in CRM that it is not 'who's right,' but 'what's right' that matters. He became obsessed with proving he was right. On taxi out, when I attempted to clear the 6 status messages on this, our second flight of the pairing, he became aggressive again. I insisted that we at least contact maintenance on the radio because the status messages determine aircraft's suitability for dispatch. We stopped on the taxiway and called maintenance, who told us the messages were a result of the power interruption and to continue. This only made him angrier because 'I had delayed our flight' to get 'obvious' information. Whether they obviously resulted from power interruption or not, I would have returned to the gate to have maintenance clear them and put it in the logbook. This captain had me threatened and intimidated to the point that I did not even suggest this. Once airborne, he yelled at me for about 1/2 hour. Upon arrival in iah, I consulted with my pilots' union's safety committee and another B757 captain I know, and called in sick because this captain was preventing me from doing my job. I have given 6 pages of documentation to the union professional standards committee. I cannot fly with this captain again safely.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 FO'S RPT ON HAVING TO DEAL WITH AN IRRATIONAL, ILL TEMPERED CAPT WHO WAS UNABLE TO DEAL WITH A MINOR ACFT EQUIP PROB IN A CIVIL MANNER ON THE TAXI OUT OF LAX, CA.

Narrative: MEL'ED APU. GND PWR PLUG WAS PULLED BEFORE EXTERNAL PWR SWITCH SELECTED OFF, WHICH LEADS TO A 1 TO 1.5 SECOND PWR INTERRUPTION BEFORE R ENG GENERATOR TAKES BUSES. THIS RESULTED IN 6 EICAS STATUS LEVEL MESSAGES, INCLUDING 3 RELATED TO FLT CTLS (RVD AND ELEV). ON THE INBOUND LEG TO LAX, THE CAPT HAD ASSUMED AN INTIMIDATING AND THREATENING MANNER AS I HAD TRIED TO HELP HIM WITH A CHANGED ARR AND APCH AND RWY. HE FELL BEHIND THE ACFT, BUT INSTEAD OF ACCEPTING ASSISTANCE, HE BEGAN TO 'COMPETE' AND DECIDED HE HAD TO PROVE HE WAS BETTER THAN I AM. HE BECAME MORE CONFRONTATIONAL AND ANGRIER THAN ANYONE I HAD EVER FLOWN WITH BEFORE AND MY ATTEMPTS AT DEFUSING THE SIT ACTUALLY WORSENED IT. OUR COMPANY TEACHES IN CRM THAT IT IS NOT 'WHO'S RIGHT,' BUT 'WHAT'S RIGHT' THAT MATTERS. HE BECAME OBSESSED WITH PROVING HE WAS RIGHT. ON TAXI OUT, WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO CLR THE 6 STATUS MESSAGES ON THIS, OUR SECOND FLT OF THE PAIRING, HE BECAME AGGRESSIVE AGAIN. I INSISTED THAT WE AT LEAST CONTACT MAINT ON THE RADIO BECAUSE THE STATUS MESSAGES DETERMINE ACFT'S SUITABILITY FOR DISPATCH. WE STOPPED ON THE TXWY AND CALLED MAINT, WHO TOLD US THE MESSAGES WERE A RESULT OF THE PWR INTERRUPTION AND TO CONTINUE. THIS ONLY MADE HIM ANGRIER BECAUSE 'I HAD DELAYED OUR FLT' TO GET 'OBVIOUS' INFO. WHETHER THEY OBVIOUSLY RESULTED FROM PWR INTERRUPTION OR NOT, I WOULD HAVE RETURNED TO THE GATE TO HAVE MAINT CLR THEM AND PUT IT IN THE LOGBOOK. THIS CAPT HAD ME THREATENED AND INTIMIDATED TO THE POINT THAT I DID NOT EVEN SUGGEST THIS. ONCE AIRBORNE, HE YELLED AT ME FOR ABOUT 1/2 HR. UPON ARR IN IAH, I CONSULTED WITH MY PLTS' UNION'S SAFETY COMMITTEE AND ANOTHER B757 CAPT I KNOW, AND CALLED IN SICK BECAUSE THIS CAPT WAS PREVENTING ME FROM DOING MY JOB. I HAVE GIVEN 6 PAGES OF DOCUMENTATION TO THE UNION PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS COMMITTEE. I CANNOT FLY WITH THIS CAPT AGAIN SAFELY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

A B757-200 first officer's report on having to deal with an irrational, ill tempered captain who was unable to deal with a minor aircraft equipment problem in a civil manner on the taxi out of lax, ca.