How can the maintenance dept. keep a problem pilot grounded WITHOUT compromising safety or ruining his career?

Answer 1

Without compromising safety, I suppose you mean by not doing something questionable to the pilots aircraft.
If you are aware of a safety issue concerning a pilot, then ruining his career should be only a small consideration.
I am a pilot, & I would rather have someone speak up against me rather than allow me to go about putting my own life, or the lives of others at risk.

If the pilot in question is a student at a school, then notify his Instructor, or the Chief Flying Instructor. If he's a Company Pilot, then notify the Chief Pilot of your concerns. To do otherwise would be a compromise in safety.

Answer 2

Believe me, if the company knew that this pilot was a problem pilot, they would have him canned immediately. They cannot afford the fines that the FAA would impose on them if they were not living up to the standards and guidelines set forth to keep our skies safe. As for his career being ruined...........would you rather have a plane full of dead people on your hands or one guy standing in line at the employment center?

Answer 3

General aviation? Let the air out of his strut. Put a hammer through the wind screen right in front of where his face would be. "Find" a crack on the propeller flange. Slam the gap on a few spark plugs together.... I guess if you want to sabotage the aircraft you would keep him grounded, otherwise, just tell him what he's doing wrong and I'm sure he will try to fix his mistakes.

Answer 4

Dead battery.

Install a contaminated Lead-acid or a Ni-Cad in need of a deep-cycle. It should be a few minute job in just about any aircraft.

You can't take off (or start the engine in many cases) with a dead battery so saftey isn't an issue.

As for ruining his career, isn't he doing that himself?