James Taylor Named By Colleagues As Pilot From Cockpit Rant

ARGYLE, Texas -- Southwest Airlines announced it is changing its discipline procedures as colleagues named the pilot behind a cockpit rant heard around the world, Local 2 Investigates reported on Friday.

Co-workers widely circulated an employee photo of the pilot, 46-year-old James Fritzen Taylor of Argyle, north of Fort Worth in north Texas.  His photo contained a scribbled message that was displayed on a Southwest Airlines crew break room, reading, "This is the big mouth pilot!!"

The pilot's identity was confirmed by two well-placed people familiar with the airline's investigation into the cockpit rant.

Local 2 Investigates was first to report on the cockpit discussion this week, which tied up a Houston air traffic control frequency for several minutes in late March.

Taylor was recorded when his microphone accidentally tued on, as his tirade focused on the lack of flight attendants that he found suitable for dating.

The recording, first obtained by Local 2 Investigates after pushing a Freedom of Information Act request with the Federal Aviation Administration, included swearing and slurs against gay people and women who are older or overweight.

Taylor, who lives in an exclusive subdivision off Interstate 35 in Argyle, did not answer his door Friday.  He did not reply to an email from Local 2 Investigates seeking his comment.

Southwest Airlines spokeswoman Brandy King was asked about any prior discipline against Taylor and she responded in an email, writing, "The pilot in question is not under investigation for any other performance-related issues and has otherwise remained in good standing with more than a dozen years employment at Southwest."

An inteal email to all 35,000 Southwest Airlines employees from Chief People Officer Jeff Lamb, obtained by Local 2 Investigates, acknowledged that many employees have complained that the suspension levied against the pilot was not adequate.

"While there will be a complete and thorough review with management of this entire episode, it is important to understand that the discipline was rendered in April.  It cannot be reversed," Lamb wrote.

Employees were told to call an inteal number to listen to a message from Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly on the matter.

Employees heard their CEO state on that recording that senior management was unaware that the pilot had only received a suspension for the episode until the story first aired on the news.

Employees heard Kelly said in his message that he was "personally, deeply disappointed" by the ordeal and that the "comments and on-duty behavior were wrong."

His message said the captain's work record was taken into account by lower-level managers as the decision was made to suspend the pilot.

The airline has not disclosed the length of his suspension.

In Lamb's memo to all employees, he wrote that the CEO had asked him to investigate the attitude and whether it was an isolated instance or whether a "wider issue" exists with employee sensitivity.

His memo promised employees that the airline was changing the companywide procedure used to consider and administer discipline under the airline's equal employment opportunity policies.  "All similar situations must go through employee relations and the general counsel prior to discipline being administered," he wrote.

Finally, the memo said diversity training requirements are being reviewed for all employees.  Lamb wrote, "We must take it up a notch.

"We will not stand by and allow any of our employees to be objectified, inadvertently or not," he wrote.

Few neighbors could be found who knew Taylor in his subdivision, but some said they often saw the pilot jogging or doing yard work.

One retiree, who asked not to be named, patted on his own stomach and said he was offended by his neighbor's remarks against older and overweight people.  That neighbor said the pilot's wife must certainly be troubled over the comments about dating, but he said the main issue for him was the potential danger for other airliners as the air traffic control frequency was tied up during the accidental broadcast.

FAA records show Taylor last renewed his transport pilot license in April.   He previously listed addresses in Carrollton, Texas, and the San Antonio suburb of Converse.

From the front door of his home, a sign with the word "pilot" was visible inside the home, along with pictures showing Taylor in a military flight uniform and a degree from the Ohio State University in Columbus.

One Southwest co-worker, who forwarded information about the pilot to Local 2 Investigates, emailed that the episode "outraged and embarrassed us.  Most of us here at SWA are so disturbed and hurt by this pilot's actions....we want a public apology from this pilot."

The FAA said it has closed its inquiry into this case and the pilot has not been accused of breaking any laws.

Several gay advocacy groups, including the Resource Center Dallas, which was included in the original Local 2 Investigates broadcast, have gotten calls from the airlines to arrange meetings and dialogue about the controversy.

The Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants' union has threatened the possibility of filing a federal workplace discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission but said it was hoping to avoid that route if the airline reacts properly to the issues.