Short Final

Monday, March 11, 2013 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A Cessna pilot attempted to relay a "personal message" to a regional jet crew via air traffic control.
The regional jet crew dismissed the request, emphasizing their professionalism and busy schedule.
The "personal message" was a critical safety alert that the regional jet crew had neglected to remove a landing-gear lock pin from their nose gear.

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Heard on the tower frequency at an airport that will remain undisclosed to protect the innocent:

Cessna 12345:
“Tower can you have regional jet ABC meet us on Unicom freqency for a personal message?”

Jet ABC:
“Tower, tell the Cessna we are a professional crew on a schedule and we don’t have time for idle chit chat.”

Cessna 12345:
“O.K. Tower, you may want to tell that professional crew they left the landing-gear lock pin in the nose gear. Have a nice day!”

Larry Cosby
via e-mail