Back to the subject .... BBC, well done for reporting this accurately, even though it was a non event. I would rather read about this in an accurate manner than some sensationalized drivvel which bears no relation to truth whatsoever.
Pilot of said AC - we all make mistakes (although I have not personally made this one per se) - learn from it!!!
Flying without the benefit of an ASI - yes, very possible and I have done it in IMC (thanks to a pitot heater failure above freezing level). Very disorientating when your ASI and AI are telling you two very different things, but if you are in the clag then you should have the ability to cross check and make sense of what you DO have (it took me far too long to work it out - in fact until I looked at the CBs, until that point I did nothing more in pitch as I knew I was trimmed for a speed that would not kill me). At the time I had something like 3000hrs in GA AC, of course we don't know if this guy was a 46 hour PPL, in which case I think his chances would have been proportionally less had the engineers not intervened. I believe that everyone (including VFR only pilots) should train for partial/limited pannel within the context of their licence priveleges - we train for engine failures yet not for instrument failures - why?
Runway light engineers - if you are reading this you deserve a medal
- No matter how small function you play in the big scheme of things, we are all part of a big system and any one of us can potentially save the lives of anyone else, just by being vigilant and proactive. You are welcome to work on the lights at any airport that I visit!
RIX
p.s. my boss has admitted to flying a Yak40 as P1/PF, with both the pitot covers still on, on a revenue flight (many many moons ago in the dark ages of the USSR of course). He said they hardly bothered with the ASI in that AC anyway as they had an AoA indicator which was much more use.
Makes me wonder how the PNF came up with the point where he should call "rotate" ...... Then again, I believe it was very "man and boy" in them thar days! Anyway, so as not to face the b***ing they continued to destination and no one was the wiser - well he was very senior in Aeroflot so I guess it was not too hard to get the FO to keep shtum.