United Airlines releases memo outlining flight errors to help prevent future close calls

CHICAGO -- United Airlines is warning pilots after mistakes in the cockpit put some passengers in danger. The Chicago-based airline calls the memo "brutally honest," but necessary.

There have been four incidents involving flight crew errors classified as major safety events and close calls. The descriptions in the safety bulletin are vague.

Two of the incidents happened close to the ground. Another incident involved flight crew mistakes that resulted in an undesired aircraft state on departure. The last incident involved a plane that deviated from its route and landed with low fuel levels.

"I'm glad that they're vigilant about security of safety or whatever the issues are. But as a frequent United passenger, I feel like they should have informed us as well, as to what may or may not be going on. You want everyone to be part of the safety and vigilance when you fly," Michael Byers said.

The memo references a 2013 UPS cargo plane crash that killed two crew members on board. It also points to pilot retirements, seat movements and new hires as reasons it's more important than ever to follow protocol.

United urges its employees to speak up if something is wrong and to listen if someone spots a problem.

Here's the full text of the memo:

Date: January 9, 2015

SAFETY ALERT: Significant safety concerns

Recent events in our operation have dictated that we communicate with all of you immediately. Over the past few weeks, our airline has experienced what we would categorize as major safety events and near-misses.

In Flight Operations we have seen two events in close proximity to terrain (one resulting in a GPWS pull-up maneuver), an Undesired Aircraft State on departure and a low fuel state on arrival after a deviation from a Sabre Flight Plan routing.

The common thread with all of these is that they are preventable. We must ask ourselves, "Do we have our priorities in line every time we put on our uniforms and strap into the airplane?" While the airline industry always seems to be in a state of flux, the one constant for all of us is that we are professional aviators with the common goal of flying our passengers and crew from point A to point B SAFELY.

Another common thread to some of these events is a lack of attention to disciplined Crew Resource Management. Every time we enter the cockpit with the intention of performing our pilot duties, we evaluate risk. Every pilot must be willing to speak up if safety is in question. In the same vein, every pilot must also accept the input of their fellow crewmembers on the flight deck. In most cases, one of the pilots recognizes an unsafe situation. In some cases, a pilot's input is ignored. This is unacceptable.

The recent CFIT accident in Birmingham involving another carrier underscores how quickly things can unravel. The approach and landing appeared normal to the pilots until right before impact. Let's not for a moment think something like that could not happen at United.

We are currently seeing a lot of movement in the pilot group, such as retirements, seat movements and new hires, that - while welcome - introduces significant risk to the operation. While no one ever shows up to work with the goal of intentionally making a mistake, we are human and mistakes happen. What we can control is how we conduct ourselves on each and every flight. If you have ever used the term "Standard Brief" before departure, you have not complied with an SOP. If you have ever exceeded Stabilized Approach Criteria intentionally and not executed a go-around, you are not in compliance.

We know this is a brutally honest message and the tendency may be to rationalize why compliance is not occurring in some areas. Bottom line: United is at a critical juncture in its history and we as aviators must adhere to the policies and procedures outlined in the Flight Manuals, FOM, WOM and ALPA Code of Ethics. Reviewing, understanding, and complying with the guidance in company manuals is imperative to returning ourselves, our fellow crewmembers and passengers to their families safely. This is our top priority and greatest responsibility, and we appreciate in advance your continued commitment and cooperation.

Fly safe.

Howard Attarian, Sr. Vice President Flight Operations

Michael Quiello, Vice President Corporate Safety