Yet the industry requires that this other pilot be able to detect your mistake, intervene, and take control; the paradox of CRM.
Permit me to inject a bit of humour into this discussion and relate the following experience that occurred in a B737-300 simulator session in my former company. The check pilot in the jump seat was jumpy type known for his short temper.
Although not a previously briefed exercise, the check captain whispered to the captain in the left seat to have an incapacitation at 100 knots. The F/O was unaware of this. Right on cue the captain let out a strangled gasp and collapsed over his controls. The F/O was caught completely by surpise and thinking the captain was genuinely incapacitated he reached over and touched the captain on the shoulder saying: Are you OK Don?" Meanwhile the simulator kept going and left the runway at an angle heading towards the control tower with the captain's left foot pushing the rudder pedal as part of his"incapacitation"
The check captain froze the simulator and blasted the now bemused First Officer for not taking control as per incapacitation SOP and aborting the takeoff. The F/O tried to explain that he thought the captain had had a real medical episode, but the check captain would have none of his explanation and wrote a fail assessment on the F/O.s record sheet.
After the captain straightened himself up, the session continued until the coffee break. Back in the simulator again with the F/O now as PF. Suddenly without warning, during the take off he let out a realistic strangled gasp and collapsed over the controls. This caught the captain by surprise as the syllabus for his session did not include an incapacitation event for the F/O. The captain thought the F/O had had a genuine medical event in the simulator and put his hand on the F/O's shoulder to sympathise with a "Christ! Stu - are you OK?" Meanwhile with no one in control the simulator left the runway heading for the control tower at full takeoff thrust.
The check captain in red faced anger stopped the session and accused the F/O of being a smart arse since the pre-flight brief had not included incapacitation by any crew member. Which is why the check captain had whispered in the captain's ear to have an episode. It was also notable the check captain failed to criticise the captain for his failure to take control when the F/O did his collapsing act. It seems for the check captain one rule for captains and another for F/O's.
Last edited by Centaurus; 2nd September 2024 at 05:20.