Opinion : Letter to the Editor: LaGuardia (LGA) is not my favorite airport

Editor:  (forgive the length)

Those that know me know I was a jet pilot in the USAF and all positions at Trans World Airlines a great airline that could not survive----F/E,F/O, and Captain. There were certain things the company empathized – ‘See and avoid”, regardless of Air Traffic Control instructions, and at the bottom of every Emergency page of our Flight Manual –“Nothing will prevent the use of good judgement on the firing line”. The mantle of responsibility is absolute and rests with the Captain of the Flight. Some carried the mantel easily other carried the responsibly heavily.  J was probably somewhere in the middle, as I would be on reserve at home and receive the call from scheduling assigning me a trip the next day. I would then put on my “pilot face”, looking  up the route and weather forecast and packing my suitcase.  Nothing would interrupt my study. (To be forewarned is forearmed)  As to the LGA incident:

 Thus:

To be an airline pilot can be just a series of ups and downs PUN intended.  I had three furloughs or an interruption of service.  One was in the eighties with Ronald Reagan as President when Air Traffic Controlers went on Strike.  The president determined they did so illegally and fired those who would not return to work.  I leaned that to help fill their employment ranks they would consider furloughed airline pilots—we needed the money.  I called the tower chief in Des Moines to verify, he did say they needed the help, but I was too far a way to consider a position there, he directed me to Cedar Rapids where I was hired as a Flight Data Aid.  The on the job training was demanding and tough.  I learned early that I did not have the ability to be a controller, but I could give the weather NOTAMS and ATC IFR clearances just fine as I had received them for the previous 17 years. Next was learning the computer and communication system FDEP, their rules and regulations.  They were absolutely hard on proper language to use on instruction to pilots and were likely to harshly criticize if the language were not used ‘ correctly –one  learns to be criticized.  I often felt that since most were former enlisted they were harder on me since I was a former Officer.  Anyway, eventually we learned to tolerate each other and offer whatever help to each other we could. To the point:  LGA was not my favorite Airport to land on.  It was on restricted land and water and was designed for Propeller driven aircraft, jet required longer runways, and the taxiway designed that way as well.   The tower operator better known as “local  control” is the boss in the tower cab.  Since traffic was light at that time of day he/she had authority to give the Ground Controller an “early shove” from his/her normal eight hour shift, which is why he was alone at his position, two positions, two radio frequencies.  Nothing ever goes right.  Another airliner aborted takeoff, on another runway and later attempted another takeoff, aborting a seconded time.  With fumes in the cabin, the Captain called for assistance, fire department was activated.  The command was given to the fire vehicles to “cross runway at so and so intersection.  The Fire Component did not visually check the final approach to the runway to verify safe crossing.  Breaking rule one of safety.  The pilot having received landing clearance proceeded..  Bad things were about to happen.  The fire component proceed to cross thinking they had clearance, The airliner was probably on the ground with no hope of a go around,  -- Thus the crash!  A miracle that those on board were not all killed.  Prayers to the two pilot who died, may they be received in heaven.   Fate is the Hunter

To the FAA and NSTB find out what went wrong and fix it.

The above is based on known facts and my appraisal of what went wrong.  The NTSB will issue their opinion of all facts relating to this accident.  That process may take a year or more to determine cause and effect.  There was two aircraft on final approach at the time, the first, when Local realize his error was ordered to go around the second a missed approach.

Regards,

John Stiegelmeyer