APA News Digest

March 14, 2025

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In This Edition ...

Every Voter Needs a Voting PIN

Voting is underway in multiple APA elections. The Election Round of the LAX and ORD Domicile Elections and the Nomination Round of the National Officers Election will run through 0001 Central on March 31. Resumes for all candidates may be found here: Candidate Information.

Each eligible pilot should have received a notice in the mail containing a unique Voting PIN and voting instructions for the National Officers Election. Each eligible pilot in LAX and ORD should also have received a separate notice in the mail containing a unique Voting PIN and voting instructions for the domicile election. It is important that you retain this letter, as you will need the same Voting PIN for all rounds of an election. If you are based at LAX or ORD, you will have two distinct Voting PINs – one for each election.

You should have also received your Voting PIN and voting instructions via an email from APA’s elections vendor, Sequent. To ensure you receive your voting credentials, please verify your contact information via the Member Update page on AlliedPilots.org.

The ballots for each election are found at separate websites:

If you did not receive or misplaced your Voting PIN, did not receive a mail ballot, and/or are experiencing difficulties casting your ballot, please call the Voting Support Call Center at 888-454-3230.

To verify your identity, the call center will ask you for your unique APA Unique Identifier Code. Your APA Identifier Code can be found at the bottom of the Member Update page on AlliedPilots.org.

Any voter who is unable to vote electronically, or would prefer to vote by mail, can request a mail ballot by visiting this website: https://electiontrust.com/apabod. Alternatively, you may request a mail ballot by calling 888-454-3230. If you request a mail ballot in one round of the election, you will receive a mail ballot for all subsequent election rounds. Requesting a mail ballot does not preclude you from voting electronically. However, if you submit both an electronic and a mail ballot, only the electronic ballot will be counted.

The Voting Support Call Center is staffed by APA’s election vendor from 0900 to 1700 Central on every day of the voting period for each round of the election. On the last full day of each round, the call center will remain open until 2200 Central. You may direct any additional questions to APA’s Election Coordinator, Kathy Lazenby, at 817-302-2175, or at elections@alliedpilots.org, between 0800 and 1600 Central on weekdays.

NTSB Recommends Changes at DCA

On Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary reports on the January collision of an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet, and it also recommended some changes at DCA.

Among the recommendations: The NTSB called on the FAA to permanently stop helicopters from flying on part of Route 4 along the Potomac River when planes are landing on Runway 33 and taking off from Runway 15. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the FAA would follow through on the NTSB’s recommendations.

NTBS Chair Jennifer Homendy said investigators determined that planes got serious alerts to take evasive action because they were too close to a helicopter at least once a month between October 2011 and December 2024.

The existing separation distance between planes and helicopters at DCA is “insufficient and poses an intolerable risk to aviation safety,” Ms. Homendy said.

You can read more about the reports and recommendations on the Industry News page at AlliedPilots.org.

737 Catches Fire After Diversion to DEN

On Thursday, American Airlines Flight 1006 from COS to DFW diverted to DEN shortly after takeoff due to engine vibrations. An engine caught fire while the 737-800 was taxiing to the gate, but the 172 passengers and six crew members were all able to evacuate. A statement from Denver International Airport said 12 people were taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

“We thank our crew members, DEN team, and first responders for their quick and decisive action with the safety of everyone on board and on the ground as the priority,” American said.

Volunteers from your APA Safety Committee, APA Aeromedical Committee, and relevant subcommittees – including the Critical Incident Response Program – have been deployed.

APA Board of Directors to Convene on March 24-26

In accordance with the APA Constitution and Bylaws Article V, Section 3.A.2.b, the APA Board of Directors will convene at union headquarters beginning at 1400 Central on Monday, March 24.

Among the items on the special meeting’s preliminary agenda:

  • American Airlines Chief Executive Officer Robert Isom will meet with the Board on Tuesday, March 25.
  • The Board will review the results of the recent round of membership polling. Polling results that are not related to negotiating strategy will be briefed in open session.

The preliminary agenda calls for the special meeting to conclude at 1445 on Wednesday, March 26.

P-56 Incursions

The APA Safety Committee and the Air Traffic and Procedures Subcommittee sent the following message to all members today.

Despite extensive training and outreach, for both the B737 and A32F fleets, incursions through the White House prohibited area, P-56, continue to occur. After a recent incursion, the Secret Service paid a visit to the captain’s home to interrogate him. Your career is at risk.

Closely follow the guidance provided in the Company’s DCA pages for your aircraft. As recommended, always load the fix PLVIA with a 1-mile radius in the FIX page for situational awareness. The Runway 01 RNAV SID track is only 1400 feet west (less than 0.2 NM) from the P-56 boundary! Treat P-56 as if it were a mountain.

When departing Runway 01, ensure NAV/LNAV is armed before taking the runway. Avoid manipulating the MCP/FCU (e.g., preselecting a heading) as this may disarm the roll mode. By 200 feet, verify NAV/LNAV is the active roll mode. If NAV/LNAV do not engage, or the aircraft is not tracking the intended course, turn left immediately to heading 310° and advise ATC “unable RNAV” per the Company advisory pages on departure or in the event of a missed approach landing north. Use of the autopilot is not recommended for this action; treat it like a PRM breakout.

If there are any questions, please contact your APA Safety Committee. Should an event occur, please call the APA Accident/Incident Hotline immediately for guidance (817-302-2154), and also submit an ASAP and a CERS Pilot Debrief.

Please, don’t let this be you:

Training Offered for CIRP Volunteers

This is a new message from the APA Critical Incident Response Program Subcommittee.

The Aeromedical Committee’s Critical Incident Response Program (CIRP) Subcommittee is responsible for ensuring a coordinated response toward accident investigators, crewmembers, and their families after a critical incident.

Have you always wanted to assist pilots who’ve had a bad day at the office? Here’s your chance to become part of a rewarding crisis management team. We will conduct a three-day training course for new volunteers May 6-8 in Dallas.

If interested, please email Deputy Chair FO Ken Hagan at khagan@alliedpilots.org.

APA Welcomes New Pilots

This is a new message from the APA Membership Committee.

a group of pilots in a lobby

Click the image for a closer look.

On March 11, the APA Membership Committee hosted a casual dinner for the following new-hire pilots: Christian Atkinson, Jarred Barnes, Brendon Birdsell, Jason Blair, Christopher Breeding, Eric Bromley, Gerald Burgess, Nathan Byam-Mooney, William Connerley, Matthew D’Angelo, Colin Downey, Paul Drbohlav, Brian Dreyer, Phillip Gilley Jr., Hubert Harrison Jr., Timothy Hayes, Christopher Hunt, Marvin Jimenez Obando, Altan Kahraman, Liam Keniry, Jonathan Lippstreu, Pedro Lozano, Jason Manthey, Mark Mirra, Robert Nguyen, Stephen Nichols, Christian Orlikowski, Jhon Osorno, Kurt Rhodes, Demiralli Rika, Tanner Roberts, Lance Rodrigue, Fabian Rodriguez Ocampo, Fabiola Sanchez, Corey Seaton, Nathaniel Spiller, David Townsend Jr., Stephen Vigneau, Michaela Waddell, Justin Walker, Matthew Williams, and John Zimmerman.

Positive Rate Episode 46: Disabled Pilots Awareness Subcommittee

In the latest episode of our “Positive Rate” podcast, Communications Committee Deputy Chair FO Melissa Monahan talks with Aeromedical Committee Deputy Chair CA Jeff Leisten, who oversees the Disabled Pilots Awareness Subcommittee (DPASC). They discuss everything DPASC volunteers do to support pilots on long-tern disability, a group in which 70 percent of our members will find themselve at least once. “We’re all bulletproof until we’re not,” CA Leisten says in the episode.

Each episode of “Positive Rate” features APA subject-matter experts working on the membership’s behalf. The podcast is available through popular streaming services, including Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can search for “Positive Rate” or “Allied Pilots Association” on your platform of choice to subscribe and download. Your first opportunity to listen will be via AlliedPilots.org/Podcasts.

APA Contract Minute – Ready for Departure Flowcharts

In the newest APA Contract Minute, Contract Compliance Committee Chair CA Jason Saxer explains how the Ready For Departure flowcharts have been updated with details about HEAT delays and deicing events at ORD.

APA Medical Minute – Meniere’s Disease

In the latest edition of the APA Medical Minute, APA Medical Advisor Cassie Bien explains how a pilot can return to duty after being diagnosed with Meniere’s disease, an inner-ear disorder that can cause vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss.

You can watch previous Medical Minute videos on APA’s YouTube channel.

Concourse Conversations at PHL and PHX

CA Jerry Gemma, PHL Domicile Chair FO Michael Drost, CA Erik DeWinne, and PHL Vice Chair CA Brian Sweep were among the volunteers participating in Concourse Conversations at PHL on Feb. 27. These events hosted by APA’s National Communications Network (NCN) allow union leadership to hear directly from line pilots and vice versa.

NCN will host Concourse Conversations at PHX from 1000 to 1430 on March 20. If you will be there that day, please stop by to chat.

Domicile Events

Visit AlliedPilots.org/Calendar to RSVP for any of these upcoming domicile events:

Are You Willing to Serve?

Each of these national committees or subcommittees has the indicated number of vacancies:

  • Aeromedical Committee (0)
    • Critical Incident Response Program Subcommittee (1)
    • Disabled Pilot Awareness Subcommittee (3)
    • Human Intervention Motivational Study Subcommittee (1)
    • Pilot Occupational Health Subcommittee (2)
  • Captain’s Authority Committee (2)
  • Communications Committee (0)
    • National Communications Network (2)
  • Grey Eagles Liaison Committee (1)
  • International Alliance Committee (1)
  • Professional Standards Committee (1)
  • Retirement and Benefits Committee (1)*
  • Scheduling Committee (1)
  • Training Committee (0)
    • Checkmate (1 on 777)

* Seeking volunteer with financial services experience and possible AIF®, CFP®, or related designations.

If you would like to serve on one or more of these committees, visit the Member Engagement Portal.

Professional Standards FAQs

What happens with a management referral?
When a committee volunteer and management member are both working the same issue, it is the responsibility of the volunteer to determine if management intends to stay involved or is willing to hand the case over to Professional Standards. The volunteer and management will work together to determine whether the issue could be completed through the Professional Standards process. If an agreeable resolution is not made, the parties are encouraged to elevate the issue to the national committee for resolution or guidance. In all cases, Professional Standards will not accept an issue if management remains involved.

To read all of the FAQs, click here.

Professional Standards’ 24/7 hotline: 817-402-2181

If You’re 50, Join The Grey Eagles

Are you a pilot for American Airlines, at least age 50, active or retired? Please join The Grey Eagles for food, fun, and fellowship. We offer cruises, conventions, monthly luncheons, retirement dinners, professional mentoring, and assistance to surviving spouses – all for a one-time lifetime fee.

Pilot Job Fairs and Future Pilot Seminars

The Future & Active Pilot Alliance’s next Future Pilot Seminar is scheduled for March 15 at SAN, and the next Pilot Job Fair is scheduled for April 25 at ATL. Click here for more information.

Industry News

For more about what’s happening in the industry, be sure to visit the Industry News page on AlliedPilots.org.

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