by Examiner Staff Writer
\nWashington Examiner<\/p>\n
O<\/span>n Wednesday, June 17 at 10 a.m., the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security chaired by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-MN, will continue its hearing on: \u201cAviation Safety: The Role and Responsibility of Commercial Air Carriers and Employees.\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s who\u2019s on the witness list:<\/p>\n Here\u2019s who\u2019s NOT on the witness list:<\/p>\n Below are letters to Sen. Dorgan by Dickson and McConnell, offering to testify:<\/p>\n Dear [Commerce Committee chairman] Senator Rockefeller, I read with much interest your letter to the DOT\u2019s Inspector General, The Honorable Calvin L. Scovel, III dated May 18, 2009 posted on your committee\u2019s website.<\/p>\n I am an officer with the Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security, at Houston Hobby Airport. Prior to going to work for the TSA, I had been a pilot for Continental Airlines for 17 years, when, in 2004, I had a severe problem regarding another pilot and safety issues in flight. Without going into the details now, I\u2019ll just say I was subjected to a hostile work environment and then complained, first to my employer and later to the FAA, about both physical and verbal abuse in flight.<\/p>\n In retaliation for my safety complaints, Continental paid its medical consultant $200 per hour to create a false and malicious medical report about what happened during the flight, stating I was not conscious at times, and then to lobby the FAA, which grounded me for my \u201ccondition,\u201d even though there was never any medical evidence of it. The principle allegation against me was even denied, via affidavit, by the pilot about whom I complained. However, I\u2019m still grounded five years later as a result of \u201cdoing the right thing.\u201d i.e. attempting to protect the public safety by expressing my legitimate concerns.<\/p>\n I hereby offer to testify before your subcommittee when it meets on June 17, 2009 about how the airlines abuse the FAA\u2019s medical certification process of airline pilots to punish those pilots when they make legitimate complaints about air safety. This is done with the assistance of certain individuals within the FAA, whom I\u2019ll name then. I\u2019ll even wear my TSA uniform to show, in no uncertain terms, precisely what can happen to an airline pilot as a result of his (or her) complaints. This has been done many times before, and must be stopped now \u2013 before more airplanes crash and more lives are lost.<\/p>\n Please contact me at your earliest convenience if I can be of any assistance in this matter, and to let me know if you\u2019ll allow me to address the subcommittee.<\/p>\n Newton R. Dickson Dear Senator Dorgan,<\/p>\n In addition to the United, Delta and Continental whistleblowing pilots, please add my voice as a 29-year Northwest Captain who was wrongfully terminated after relating specific and credible information regarding the hull losses of UA175 and AA77.<\/p>\n Specifically, I noted illegal modifications to Boeings, the same illegal modifications and export violations that resulted in a $615M settlement paid by Boeing to USDOJ in June, 2006.\u00a0 My warnings to NWA, ALPA, DOD and FBI on 12-11-06 fell on deaf ears and on 1-1-07 Adam Air 574 (B737) was ‘vaporized’ in a manner consistent with my written warning.\u00a0 I wrote a personal letter to FBI Director Mueller on 2-13-07, again, deaf ears.<\/p>\n On 5-5-07 Kenya Airways (B737) was ‘vaporized’ in a manner consistent with my warning.\u00a0 In the interim, between vaporizations, I was wrongfully terminated from Northwest Airlines after being scheduled to have an assessment with Dr. Elliott of Los Angeles, the same Dr. Elliott that United, Delta and Continental have used to ‘silence’ whistleblowing pilots.<\/p>\n We, the whistleblowing pilots, are compelled by FAR 121.533 to not operate any aircraft if we have safety concerns regarding that aircraft.\u00a0 Further, for the majority of the pilots of our experience level we have taken oaths of office when in the military to defend the US against all enemies; foreign and domestic.<\/p>\n Korean 007, UA175, AA77, Adam Air 574, Kenya 507, Colgan 3407, Air France 447.\u00a0 When is enough enough?\u00a0 Many pilots are blowing their whistles, is anyone in Washington listening?\u00a0 In as much as the lengthening list of hull losses has not been sufficient to whet the appetite of Washington to investigate perhaps by revealing more of the technologies employed we can gain some focus:<\/p>\n 1) Boeing Uninterruptible Autopilot The public was first told of the Boeing Uninterruptible Autopilot on 3 March, 2007, four days after I filed Civil Case 3:07-cv-24. The QRS11 GyroChip was a subject of the $615M payment from Boeing to USDOJ in June, 2006.\u00a0 The four technologies listed above will be discussed in Chapter 9 of the online book [I am writing] that is tracking aviation safety in real time and this letter, in its entirety, including individuals addressed herein, will also be published in that book.<\/p>\n ALPA has suggested in writing that a certain whistleblower pilot is ‘troubled’.\u00a0 Had ALPA, FBI, DOJ and the airlines taken a different approach perhaps the hull losses to Adam Air, Kenya Airways and Air France could have been prevented.<\/p>\n With grave concern,<\/p>\n Lt. Col. Field McConnell (US Navy-Retired)\n
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\n(cc Sen. Dorgan)<\/p>\n
\nFormer 757 Continental pilot
\nHouston, TX<\/p>\n
\n2) QRS11 GyroChip
\n3) SMACsonic
\n4) KU Band<\/p>\n
\nGlyndon, MN<\/p>\n