Union will fight go! pilots’ firing

The two go! pilots being investigated by federal agencies for possibly falling asleep and then overshooting Hilo's airport on a midmorning flight from Honolulu have been fired by Mesa Air Group Inc., parent company of the interisland carrier.

Air Line Pilots Association attorney John Dean, a senior contract administrator based in San Francisco, said yesterday the pilots union has filed a grievance with the company on behalf of the pilots. He said the pilots were terminated 10 days ago.

Mesa confirmed yesterday the pilots were terminated, but declined to elaborate further because it was a personnel issue.

Dean said the National Transportation Safety Board is still conducting its investigation, and a report is not expected until early to mid-June. He said the Federal Aviation Administration typically will wait until the NTSB completes its report before taking any action.

The pilots, who have not been identified, were suspended on the day of the Feb. 13 incident after they failed to respond to nearly a dozen calls from air traffic controllers for 17 minutes. They were piloting a 50-seat CRJ 200 at 21,000 feet and carrying 40 passengers and one flight attendant. The pilots overshot Hilo's airport by 15 miles before circling back and landing.