The pilot who told me 'just make the warning light go away'

We had a Citation X in for a full panel check in Dallas about 3 months ago. The captain came into the hangar, pointed at a persistent but minor caution light, and said, 'Can't you just put a piece of tape over the sensor? I need this bird in the air by 5.' I had to explain, slowly, that the sensor was tied into the bleed air system and ignoring it could lead to a cabin pressure issue at altitude. He just shrugged and walked off. It really stuck with me how some people see our job as just making problems quiet, not actually fixing them. Anyone else had a pilot ask you to basically bypass a safety system?

2 comments

2 Comments

hannaho529d ago

Used to think a little tape on a light was just part of the hustle, you know? Then I saw a plane come back with a real problem that started as a "quiet" warning. Now that story makes my skin crawl, because that pilot is asking you to hide a fire alarm so he doesn't miss his dinner. It's not about the light, it's about what the light is SAYING.

skylercooper9d ago

Read a report about a cargo plane where they kept ignoring a minor hydraulic leak warning. Crew just kept resetting the system to make the light go off. Eventually the backup system failed too during landing, almost lost the whole aircraft. That light wasn't a suggestion, it was the only voice the machine had. Scary how a small choice to ignore it can stack up into a disaster.