[JIGUAB]

This past Monday, november 28, 2011..... the passangers of flight 765, including my wife and I, departing from FLL to SJU experienced some mechanical problems that to my understanding was handled with the must lack of consideration for passanger safety. The Pilot had to abort take off half way thru the runway due to some unexplicable problem that forced him to taxi the plane on an alternate runway. At this moment we expected the pilot to take us back to the terminal for a thorough inspection of the plane by a certified mechanic, but this was not the case. We were left inside the plane for 45 +/- minutes waiting for brakes to cool down without even knowing/understanding the real reason for the pilot to abort takeoff half way thru the runway. At this time all passangers were very nervous and extremely confused of why the desicion for taking off once more.
Second take off was normal until the plane lost speed and started shacking from side to side and up and down shortly after take off. As you can imaging we all thought we were going down due to mechanical problems. My wife became extremely agitated, crying and to the point of having a nervous break down. Other passangers reacted in similar fashion holding their children tight and praying out loud. It was a really sacry moment for all of us aboard flight 765. To make matters worst, the landing at SJU was terrifying. The plane landed at high speed and almost sideways.
It seems to me as if SPIRIT decided to put Airline Standards before Passanger Safety.

[jimworcs]

I am no fan of Spirit airines, but what you describe doesn't suggest a safety issue at all. To stop an aircraft after the take off roll has begun requires a lot of energy, which will generate a lot of heat in the brakes. Pulling over to another area of the airport while they cool is just prudent.... this way, hot wheels will not come into the body of the aircraft when there is wheels up after take off.

There are any number of reasons why an aircraft in the early stages of the take off roll might abort take off. First, it could be in instruction from ATC, there could be a runway incursion by a taxiiing aircraft, a flock of birds crossing the runway....etc. This does not indicate that the aircraft needed to be checked by a mechanic.

The turbulance you encountered on take off and landing are most likely just a co-incidence, which in your heightened state of anxiety has caused fear and distress. This doesn't equate to the airline having done anything wrong.

There is no-one on the aircraft with a greater stake in the safety of the airplane than the pilot. Why would the pilot endanger his own life to take off in an unsafe airplane?

Perhaps the Captain could have provided a detailed reassurance to the passengers as to exactly what happened. However, after aborting a take off, the cockpit is a busy place, preparing the aircraft to for another take off, communicating with the Ops Department of the airline and with ATC. I am not convinced that this was a safety issue... more perhaps an anxiety issue.