Release #82.i
August 16, 2001

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Perry Redmond, a US Airways first officer and resident of Beaver, PA, 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 Redmond for his heroic actions to avoid a potentially catastrophic runway collision at Providence, RI, on Dec. 6, 1999. The captain of flight 2998, Randall Tilly, 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.

Redmond has flown with US Airways MetroJet since 1989. Before joining US Airways, he flew for Mesa Airlines. Redmond received his bachelor’s degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is married to the former Alicia Chuppe, and they have four children: Patrick, 13; Lauren, 11; Danya, 9; and Jonathan, 3. Redmond grew up in Belfield, ND, where his father was a farmer and an aviation pioneer.

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