There and Back Again—A Pilot’s Tale

In a worrying instance that belies the image of the airline pilot as the cool-headed, consummate professional, an Alaska Airlines flight from Washington DC to San Francisco was delayed for over three hours when the aircraft’s Captain refused to fly after an alleged and apparently irreconcilable disagreement the first-officer.

Passengers aboard Alaska Airlines flight 1080 were left speechless after the captain declared over the Airbus A320’s intercom that he was returning the aircraft to the departure gate because he wasn’t “getting along” with the first officer.

Flight 1080’s scheduled 16:10 EDT departure had already been forestalled by thunderstorms in the vicinity of Washington D.C. The flight-deck feud and subsequent search for a replacement pilot further delayed the flight—which didn’t depart Dulles until nearly 19:30 EDT to arrive in San Francisco nearly two-and-a-half-hours late.

Passenger Al Jackson of Ketchum, ID stated in a tweet: “This is a first for me. Alaska #1080 from IAD to SFO, already delayed due to weather, comes back to the gate. Pilot says he and his first officer ‘can’t get along, so in the interest of safety …’ and then leaves the plane.”

Another passenger claimed the Captain, after returning the A320 to the gate, left the airplane “fuming.”
Yet another passenger put forth in a Reddit post that upon arriving aboard flight 1080, the Alaska replacement pilot was met with “roaring applause.”

In the wake of the perplexing, potentially revenue-lessening incident, Alaska Airlines released the following statement: "While this situation was unfortunate, in the interest of safety, the pilots did the right thing. Both the captain and the first officer were evaluated by management, and it was determined they remained fit to fly. We swapped crews and the flight continued to San Francisco. We apologized to our guests for the inconvenience this caused."

Alaska Airlines and its pilots have been mired in a labor dispute for a period of time measurable in years. In May 2022, Alaska pilots voted overwhelmingly in favor of authorizing a strike action. Among the points of contention between the airline’s management and its pilots is the matter of scheduling. Alaska pilots maintain they are being overworked—and have presented compelling evidence substantiating their assertions.

Whether or not chronic fatigue played a role in Alaska flight 1080’s delay is unknown—much as the breathability of Venus’s atmosphere remains unknown.

FMI: www.alaskaair.com