Passenger forced to land light aircraft after pilot collapses at the controls - pilot later dies
27 replies, posted
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-24450534[/url]
[quote]A passenger has landed an aeroplane at Humberside Airport after the pilot fell ill at the controls.
Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to the airport after the pilot collapsed and a distress call was made from the light aircraft.
Two flying instructors were called in to advise the passenger how to bring the plane down.
One of them, Roy Murray, said the passenger had no flying experience and did a "remarkable job".[/quote]
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-24457031[/url]
[quote]A pilot who fell ill at the controls of his plane forcing his passenger to land the light aircraft has died, police have said.
The man collapsed in the cockpit of the plane after taking off, leaving the "inexperienced" passenger to make an emergency landing.[/quote]
[QUOTE=smurfy;42463912][URL]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-24450534[/URL]
[URL]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-24457031[/URL][/QUOTE]
I think this is the first time a passenger has landed by instructions..
Even if it is a light aircraft...
[EDIT]
Every single case that I find, the fill-in has had previous flight experience..
Glad to hear it didn't end in a crash.[quote]One of them, Roy Murray, said the passenger had no flying experience and did a "remarkable job".[/quote]
Of course they did. Flying isn't as hard as people make it out to be, and with experts on the radio talking someone through it anyone reasonably intelligent and coordinated could land a Cessna.
Mythbusters actually tried this using a NASA flight training module (that was running some iteration of Microsoft Flight Sim). They both actually did really well with it.
[QUOTE=TestECull;42463935]Glad to hear it didn't end in a crash.
Of course they did. Flying isn't as hard as people make it out to be, and with experts on the radio talking someone through it anyone reasonably intelligent and coordinated could land a Cessna.[/QUOTE]
It's pretty much Hubris that leads to bad landings, dangerous weather/technical failings aside.
This is my local airport!
R.I.P the pilot. Pretty amazing though that the passenger managed to land the plane. Must have
been rather traumatising/scary for them.
It's good to know that ATC are there and ready for when things like this does happen. If I were in a plane and a
familiar event occured I'd probably volunteer for flying. Sounds pretty fun to be honest.
[QUOTE=Bradyns;42463920]I think this is the first time a passenger has landed by instructions..
Even if it is a light aircraft...[/QUOTE]
it isnt the first time.
Oh damn.
Didn't QI say the chance of something like this actually working are about 1 to 1000 or something like that?
[QUOTE=Samiam22;42464193]Oh damn.
Didn't QI say the chance of something like this actually working are about 1 to 1000 or something like that?[/QUOTE]
Pretty sure anyone could at least make a safe-ish crash landing.
In a video game, yeah probably. The real thing is a completely different story though.
[QUOTE=layla;42464298]In a video game, yeah probably. The real thing is a completely different story though.[/QUOTE]
Maintain speed, hit ground. Landing while keeping the plane safe, ie, a proper landing is hard as fuck, sure. But just getting back on the ground relatively safely shouldn't be too bad.
[QUOTE=benbb;42464152]This is my local airport!
R.I.P the pilot. Pretty amazing though that the passenger managed to land the plane. [B]Must have been rather traumatising/scary for them.[/B]
It's good to know that ATC are there and ready for when things like this does happen. If I were in a plane and a familiar event occured I'd probably volunteer for flying. [B]Sounds pretty fun to be honest.[/B][/QUOTE]
eh
This is a remarkable story and I fully commend the student pilot/passenger who landed the aircraft and the air traffic control services for providing a service for him. I've been an observer in situations like these in the past and it's very much an arse-clenching event..
A little known titbit that even student pilots don't get to know about is [URL="http://www.raf.mod.uk/latccmilswanwick/rafcms/mediafiles/6EAF091A_5056_A318_A8D6CE2E0FDCD096.pdf"]RAF Distress & Diversion[/URL] which is quite literally a lifesaver in situations such as these when you fall outside the communications range of an air traffic control unit for whatever reason. Interesting reading for anyone interested in emergency aircraft procedures, although it is local to the UK (more precisely England).
Of course the poor guy in this situation wouldn't have known about D&D but it's cool nonetheless.
Story reminds me of this.
[video=youtube;1VQ_3sBZEm0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VQ_3sBZEm0[/video]
[QUOTE=Riller;42464306]Maintain speed, hit ground. Landing while keeping the plane safe, ie, a proper landing is hard as fuck, sure. But just getting back on the ground relatively safely shouldn't be too bad.[/QUOTE]
"Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing." -Every qualified pilot ever.
[QUOTE=smurfy;42464459]eh[/QUOTE]
I realise I put two contradicting statements but what I mean though is that even though it would be scary as fuck it would still be pretty fun at the same time. To be honest though, I'd probably fail the landing. I've ended up crashing nose-first into the ground on FSX.
I'm a pilot myself and hate hearing stories like this. To be completely honest flying a plane is really fucking simple. Although I give props to that passenger because landing a plane isn't the easiest thing in the world. Sounds like he did a good job though. Would be interesting to know why the pilot died/passed out. We have strict FAA Medicals that disallow diseases like diabetes incase someone passes out at the controls.
Edit:
This was in the UK so the FAA isn't the governing body. But I'm sure whoever is in control in the UK has similar outlines like the FAA.
[QUOTE=Bradyns;42463920]I think this is the first time a passenger has landed by instructions..
Even if it is a light aircraft...
[EDIT]
Every single case that I find, the fill-in has had previous flight experience..[/QUOTE]
I'm pretty sure it's happened numerous times. Even [URL="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/world/americas/20canada.html"]big[/URL] [URL="http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/06/16/flight.attendant.landing/index.html"]passenger[/URL] jets have been landed by people other than the pilot. They say that the odds of crashing a plane with autolanding are 1 in 2 billion or somesuch ridiculously large number.
[QUOTE=Dr. Ethan Asia;42465355]I'm pretty sure it's happened numerous times. Even [URL="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/world/americas/20canada.html"]big[/URL] [URL="http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/06/16/flight.attendant.landing/index.html"]passenger[/URL] jets have been landed by people other than the pilot. They say that the odds of crashing a plane with autolanding are 1 in 2 billion or somesuch ridiculously large number.[/QUOTE]
First line in that article:
A flight attendant with a pilot's license...
She has flying experience.
[QUOTE=Samiam22;42464193]Oh damn.
Didn't QI say the chance of something like this actually working are about 1 to 1000 or something like that?[/QUOTE]
What QI said is bullshit then. Because needless to say, you can land the plane Quite Interestingly easily if you receive advice.
If you don't receive any advice at all, and go randomly about landing a plane, you will most likely crash and get everyone killed.
But hey, thanks for another reason not to ever get into this gibberish talkshow.
[QUOTE=Samiam22;42464193]Oh damn.
Didn't QI say the chance of something like this actually working are about 1 to 1000 or something like that?[/QUOTE]
QI was talking about a big commercial jet rather than a light aircraft, and they said it would be about 1 in 10 under good circumstances
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giixQm2A9Xw[/media]
[QUOTE=Widgeon;42464820]I'm a pilot myself and hate hearing stories like this. To be completely honest flying a plane is really fucking simple. Although I give props to that passenger because landing a plane isn't the easiest thing in the world. Sounds like he did a good job though. Would be interesting to know why the pilot died/passed out. We have strict FAA Medicals that disallow diseases like diabetes incase someone passes out at the controls.
Edit:
This was in the UK so the FAA isn't the governing body. But I'm sure whoever is in control in the UK has similar outlines like the FAA.[/QUOTE]
The CAA is our governing body and there are various classifications of medicals over here, all of them being very stringent and tough on who can and can't command an aircraft. Naturally commercial medicals have more requirements than civilian 'sport' medicals. What is questionable though, is that although you need a valid medical to fly you don't actually have to renew it for some considerable time.
I had my medical done in 2008 and it's valid until I reach the age of 70 when I require another.
[QUOTE=TestECull;42463935]Glad to hear it didn't end in a crash.
Of course they did. Flying isn't as hard as people make it out to be, and with experts on the radio talking someone through it anyone reasonably intelligent and coordinated could land a Cessna.[/QUOTE]
just watch your vertical speed, watch your airspeed, and don't make any sudden movements and you'll be fine, hell, real, non simulator flying is more by sight then by instrument
[QUOTE=Dr. Ethan Asia;42465355]They say that the odds of crashing a plane with autolanding are 1 in 2 billion or somesuch ridiculously large number.[/QUOTE]
Theres no plane in the world with full autolanding that's used on a regular basis... The aircraft with autolanding systems normally are big 747s or similar aircraft, smaller 737s and A320s dont have them. The pilot is in full control of the control surfaces during landing 99.9% of the time (Even in low visibility and night) we have CDI and RMI to help guide us to the runway in IFR conditions. Autoland features normally figure out how much braking to do and automatically put spoliers/reverse thrusters, rarely will they have the function to control the flare and touchdown portion. The reason why we dont use autolanding systems that autoflare and roundout automatically is because there is a high chance for controlled flight into terrian (CFiT) during visibility minimums.
[QUOTE=runtime;42465635]I had my medical done in 2008 and it's valid until I reach the age of 70 when I require another.[/QUOTE]
Jesus really? Yeah ours in the US go down in class every year for the most part. IE You just get a Class A a year from then you would have a Class B then 2 years from then its a Class C.
[QUOTE=Widgeon;42466849]Jesus really? Yeah ours in the US go down in class every year for the most part. IE You just get a Class A a year from then you would have a Class B then 2 years from then its a Class C.[/QUOTE]Really. I had a full medical at my doctors before I flew solo - I didn't require any form of medical as a non-solo student pilot - and I've carried that across from powered aircraft to gliders. It's sat in the records at all my flying clubs since I got it issued and it expires when I'm 70 which is when I'll need to get it re-certified.
Worth baring in mind I'm a sport pilot, not a commercial one and even then I'm a glider pilot now not a powered pilot (I couldn't afford to keep my PPL current). Commercial guys need theirs renewed every few years like yourself and I *believe* that if I were to fly powered again I'd need to get a formal JAA medical renewal for sports pilots which is then applicable for renewal much more often than my current one is. I think the rules regarding gliding in the UK and medicals are much more relaxed.
[QUOTE=Bradyns;42463920]I think this is the first time a passenger has landed by instructions..
Even if it is a light aircraft...
[EDIT]
Every single case that I find, the fill-in has had previous flight experience..[/QUOTE]
I think it is the first time a passenger was talked down by ATC, but this guy had flown C172's before so he was a pilot. Doesn't count! Neener neener!
god i'd love to be a pilot
especially jets
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