The "accidents or incidents" interview question

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bigbird123
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The "accidents or incidents" interview question

Post by bigbird123 »

Obviously some accidents and incidents are red flags, but it's also an incident if you've ever had an engine malfunction in flight that leads to a shut down, it's an incident if you've ever had a fire on board, or if your plane rapidly depressurizes, or any number of mechanical or environmental things that the pilot has no responsibility for.

So when a job ad outright says no applicants that have ever had an incident or accident, or when the online application requires you to say yes or no to that question which prevents you from ever getting an interview, how is that right? Do you just not fess up to any incidents until it gets to the interview portion and you get a chance to explain yourself?
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digits_
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Re: The "accidents or incidents" interview question

Post by digits_ »

If it's stuff outside your control, say no on the online questionnaire and bring it up in the interview to discuss it.
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fixtor
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Re: The "accidents or incidents" interview question

Post by fixtor »

digits_ wrote: Fri Oct 22, 2021 5:40 am If it's stuff outside your control, say no on the online questionnaire and bring it up in the interview to discuss it.
I disagree. Companies are looking for an honest and factual answer.
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digits_
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Re: The "accidents or incidents" interview question

Post by digits_ »

fixtor wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 5:36 am
digits_ wrote: Fri Oct 22, 2021 5:40 am If it's stuff outside your control, say no on the online questionnaire and bring it up in the interview to discuss it.
I disagree. Companies are looking for an honest and factual answer.
Unless you are applying for some very specific niche job, you'll never get called for an interview if you answer 'yes' on the online questionnaire.

Are you going to declare an incident in a questionnaire like that because the engine had an oil leak and you had to shut it down? Without a proper definition of incident or accident, I would say that this does not qualify as an incident in regards to a job interview.

Now, if you gear it up because you forgot to lower the gear, then that's hard to justify answering 'no'.
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tbayav8er
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Re: The "accidents or incidents" interview question

Post by tbayav8er »

I mean....Even a go-around counts as an "incident" these days, and a CADOR is filed.
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172_Captain
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Re: The "accidents or incidents" interview question

Post by 172_Captain »

tbayav8er wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 7:30 am I mean....Even a go-around counts as an "incident" these days, and a CADOR is filed.
No, it’s not.

As for answering yes to an accident or incident, it depends on the context I suppose for myself. I’ve had an engine fire in flight that necessitated a shut down, obviously. Should I be barred from a future potential job because I followed the QHR and landed safely? I’d say same goes for an accident to be honest. If I had a gear up landing 15 years ago and nothing since, should that follow me for life?
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Sharklasers
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Re: The "accidents or incidents" interview question

Post by Sharklasers »

172_Captain wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 3:19 pm
tbayav8er wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 7:30 am I mean....Even a go-around counts as an "incident" these days, and a CADOR is filed.
No, it’s not.

As for answering yes to an accident or incident, it depends on the context I suppose for myself. I’ve had an engine fire in flight that necessitated a shut down, obviously. Should I be barred from a future potential job because I followed the QHR and landed safely? I’d say same goes for an accident to be honest. If I had a gear up landing 15 years ago and nothing since, should that follow me for life?
Honestly it depends on the competitiveness of the job market at the time of your interview. When AC needed 1500 guys and gals then yeah, a gear up may be overlooked if you can explain what happened, what you learned and why it never happened again. When AC was hiring 20-40 people a year then a failed PPL ride was knocking guys off the short list.
It should be noted that honest is key, when interviewing at a major they are generally asking questions they already know the answer to. They have your TC files, they are looking at you to add colour.
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digits_
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Re: The "accidents or incidents" interview question

Post by digits_ »

Sharklasers wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 4:52 pm It should be noted that honest is key, when interviewing at a major they are generally asking questions they already know the answer to. They have your TC files, they are looking at you to add colour.
How would a 3rd party get access to 'my TC files'? What files are you referring to?
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Sharklasers
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Re: The "accidents or incidents" interview question

Post by Sharklasers »

digits_ wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 4:59 pm
Sharklasers wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 4:52 pm It should be noted that honest is key, when interviewing at a major they are generally asking questions they already know the answer to. They have your TC files, they are looking at you to add colour.
How would a 3rd party get access to 'my TC files'? What files are you referring to?
Like a drivers abstract. You give the interviewing airline permission to request records pertaining to your licensing and disciplinary history before your interview. AC also has you sign off on a background check before your interview as well.

The Americans take it a step further with the PRIA act where by law all pilot training and incident related material must be available about all pilots for potential future employers.
https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policie ... _database/
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photofly
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Re: The "accidents or incidents" interview question

Post by photofly »

Since when does TC keep records of every time you shut down an engine in flight? How would they know?
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scdriver
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Re: The "accidents or incidents" interview question

Post by scdriver »

172_Captain wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 3:19 pm
tbayav8er wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 7:30 am I mean....Even a go-around counts as an "incident" these days, and a CADOR is filed.
No, it’s not.

As for answering yes to an accident or incident, it depends on the context I suppose for myself. I’ve had an engine fire in flight that necessitated a shut down, obviously. Should I be barred from a future potential job because I followed the QHR and landed safely? I’d say same goes for an accident to be honest. If I had a gear up landing 15 years ago and nothing since, should that follow me for life?
Depends honesty for a gear up landing in my opinion. Was it gear up due to an extension issue or because you forgot. Two totally different scenarios. But an accident beyond your control, I think it’s bs if that bars you from future employment. If my piston single quits on me due to an issue beyond my control and I dead stick it into rough terrain to make the best of a shitty situation and the airplane is written off, am i suddenly an unsafe pilot? Genuine question for others in this thread, would a situation like that be an issue for employment at an airline? They can’t be ignorant to the fact that pilots can have accidents that are beyond their control
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172_Captain
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Re: The "accidents or incidents" interview question

Post by 172_Captain »

Sharklasers wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 4:52 pm
172_Captain wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 3:19 pm
tbayav8er wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 7:30 am I mean....Even a go-around counts as an "incident" these days, and a CADOR is filed.
No, it’s not.

As for answering yes to an accident or incident, it depends on the context I suppose for myself. I’ve had an engine fire in flight that necessitated a shut down, obviously. Should I be barred from a future potential job because I followed the QHR and landed safely? I’d say same goes for an accident to be honest. If I had a gear up landing 15 years ago and nothing since, should that follow me for life?
Honestly it depends on the competitiveness of the job market at the time of your interview. When AC needed 1500 guys and gals then yeah, a gear up may be overlooked if you can explain what happened, what you learned and why it never happened again. When AC was hiring 20-40 people a year then a failed PPL ride was knocking guys off the short list.
It should be noted that honest is key, when interviewing at a major they are generally asking questions they already know the answer to. They have your TC files, they are looking at you to add colour.
100% I agree with you. If asked during an interview, I’d be totally transparent. I’m just against questions that automatically kick you from being considered without at least having your day in court (the interview).
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bigbird123
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Re: The "accidents or incidents" interview question

Post by bigbird123 »

I asked this question after responding yes to the question on an application. Gave some details and got an interview anyway. Transparency worked for me!
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DanWEC
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Re: The "accidents or incidents" interview question

Post by DanWEC »

I've never heard if it being an automatically exclusionary checkbox on an application. Why would it be? There are a thousand completely external and uncontrollably things that could happen which lead to an incident or accident despite even the most proactive decision making. Be honest, and also relevant. Maybe leave out the flat tire you got once as a student in a C150, but the majority of pilots by the time they're at airline level have had something happen. Most of us have spent a lot of hours in 50+ year old airplanes. That's why when you check "Yes" on that box you can provide an explanation. Otherwise Sully would be PFO'd.

Out of curiosity, where have you seen an ad that said no applicants with accidents or incidents? Sounds more like an HR error.
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digits_
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Re: The "accidents or incidents" interview question

Post by digits_ »

I got ask the question once during an interview with a chief pilot. I answered 'yes' and had a good explanation (as mentioned above). The chief pilot turned the answer into 'no', because HR wouldn't accept a 'yes'.

In the end I got the job, but it was a good lesson to not answer 'yes' to that question unless you have a chance to explain yourself. If you say 'no', and it's actually a 'yes, but irrelevant', you'll get the job. If you say 'yes' even though it's irrelevant, you might not get the job.

Why would they ask that question in an online questionnaire unless they plan on using it as a means of filtering applicants?
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co-joe
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Re: The "accidents or incidents" interview question

Post by co-joe »

I thought writing off an aeroplane got you a guaranteed job at air canada. I've heard of so many examples of this over the years. A while back guys on here were joking about doing it on purpose for that reason.
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wirez
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Re: The "accidents or incidents" interview question

Post by wirez »

I answered yes to this question and had an opportunity to explain myself on the AC interview. I was still offered the job, though I ended up not taking it.
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