Firstly, Well Done to F/O concerned.
His decisions and course of action worked.
As is the nature of the profession, all of these will be mercilessly scrtutinised and torn apart at great length by people with time and resources at hand which he did not have. Not necessarily a bad thing as we all can learn from events such as this.
This does not detract from the performance of the pilot on the scene (Remember as of the Captains incapacitation, he assumed command, as was his duty, and as a result was totally responsible for the outcomes of his actions on behalf of his A/C and passengers).
The thoughts:
Incapacitation (Both had it and exprienced it it from the other end myself) can be messy, smelly, very hazardous (pain spasm resuting in full rudder!) and always extremely stressful. The thread so far has dealt with the technical aspects only. This gentleman not only had a single crew diversion to handle, but had a very sick friend next to him, which multiplies the stress.
Finally well done to the chap concerned, plenty of people will second guess you, but you were there and made it work. I Will sit in your cabin any day (ex 744 CAPT).
Last bit, Amendment to Captain Incapacitation checklist:
1 Call for C/A assitance
2' HELP ME GET THIS SICK BASTARD OUT OF
MY SEAT'
3 If in Big Airline, ensure death ( Medical assistance may be required, but given the right doctor with appropriate inducements, progression in seniority may be assured).
4 Divert to nearest suitable airport. (Bearing mind this is now P1 time, fuel is there to be burnt, and the chances of the captain remaining on the seniority list diminish both with time and the amount you have paid the Doctor---Lagos always looks good).
Well done to F/O, knowledge is not all, tempering by experience is an essential--looks like you had some
Good on you
