Reply #7: And you have experience in these matters?

[Solo_in_MD]

I have a fair amount, and believe your comment to be cluesless at best.

The FAA takes incidents like this very serious, and if it was a US licensed pilot, he is basically going to have to demonstrate why he should continue to be allowed to fly *anything* in this country.

The FAA however, is not like many local law enforcement authorities. They don't have quotas and the don't get money from any fines they may levy. They are also very interested in preventing future incidents. They will investigate fairly thoroughly. They will look at the traces of where the bizjet was when comms were occuring. Did the pilot know where he was and if not why not.

Based on knowledge that comes from more than a few years in the cockpit of general, military and commercial aviation, a some observations:
- There is a closed runway at LAX (not many people are aware of that)
- LAX ground control assumes you know the airport as well as they do, though no one does. Asking a question will get you treated with scorn. BTDT.
- Getting around LAX with only a chart is damn near impossible (as it is with any major airport)
- No pilot is going to knowingly cross an active runway without permission. We don't want to die.
- Radio accents mean NOTHING. Every talks like Chuck Yeager. Doesn't matter if your are from the Bronx or New Delhi. Its a source of much humor in the aviation community.

Based on the article (from a known weak source, the Breeze is a bad joke in many ways):
- Brit registered plane (rare due to taxes over there)
- Bizjet at LAX (bad sign, due to its higher landing fees, most bizjets go to Burbank, Long Beach or Orange County)
- Correct read back but did not follow directions.

Initial Conclusion: Pilot was trying to comply but did not accurately know where he was on the airport.

The real question is why. Signs missing due to damage or due to construction, or even mismarked. Pilot ineptitude (rare, we all know how to taxi our planes), pilot lack of familiarity with the airport (safe bet that gets partial credit). Confusing signs (should be cited as well, but won't be, the FAA approved them). Some combination thereof.

By the time this gets ground through, know one will care except the small portion of the aviation community that deals with LAX, certainly not the Daily Breeze or DU.

I will get off my soapbox now...


Solo in MD, (1000s of hours, lots of planes, a whole bunch of ratings, and no medical)