Originally Posted by
homonculus
For those rotary pilots who fly single crew, at night, into unsurveyed sites with sick patients in the back, this could be an interesting debate
Sipping my G and T in the back I would rather the FO flew into an airport he was familiar with, especially if relatively inexperienced. The risk of a second incapacitation is statistically tiny over a matter of hours.
Comparing apples and oranges. The rotary pilot who flies single crew is operating an aircraft that is certified for single crew operation. A B757 is not certified for single crew operation, hence why they landed at a suitable airfield.
Funchal is a captains only landing so even if the F/O pushed on, he would not have been able to land in Funchal and had to divert to Porto Santo. Another airfield he might never have been.
Whilst statistically the risk of a second incapacitation might be small, it really depends on the reason for the incapacitation. It could be due to a batch of dodgy food or drink. Statistically it might be a very small risk but not a risk that should be taken lightly at 38000 feet.