Release #82.h
August 16, 2001

WASHINGTON, D.C -- Randall Tilly, a US Airways captain and resident of Hilton Head, SC, was awarded a Presidential Citation for Outstanding Service in Air Safety from the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA). The award was presented on Aug. 15, 2001, at the Association’s annual Air Safety Forum.

ALPA honored Capt. Tilly for his heroic actions to avoid a potentially catastrophic runway collision at Green State Airport in Providence, RI, on Dec. 6, 1999. The first officer of Flight 2998, Perry Redmond, also was honored with a Presidential Citation award.

On the evening of the flight, the air traffic control tower reported restricted visibility because of fog, and the tower relied on pilot reports to track aircraft positioning on the runways. Flight 2998 was holding short of the runway waiting for takeoff clearance when the pilots of a Boeing 757 reported they were unsure of their position. While attempting to taxi toward the gate, the B757 took a wrong turn, making its location unknown to the tower and the other aircraft. The flight crew became disoriented about their actual location.

However, the tower still gave Capt. Tilly and Redmond clearance for takeoff on the same runway where the disoriented B757 was located. The pilots refused to move until the true location of the B757 was determined, and the aircraft was at its docking gate. Flight 2998 was again cleared for takeoff at the original runway, and reached its destination safely. Without the precautions that both Capt. Tilly and Redmond took, an enormous disaster could have occurred on the runway.

Capt. Tilly began flying for US Airways in 1986. Before his career with US Airways, he flew general aviation commuter airplanes. He received his bachelor’s of arts degree in media arts from the University of South Carolina. After college, he moved to Hilton Head, where he has resided for 18 years. Tilly is currently based at Baltimore- Washington International Airport in Baltimore, MD.

ALPA is the union representing most commercial airline pilots in North America, and is the industry’s leading safety advocate. It represents 66,000 pilots at 47 carriers in the U.S. and Canada.

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ALPA Contacts: John Mazor, Anya Piazza (703) 481-4440