Air Canada co-pilot falls ill during flight

[sevenstrokeroll]

this thread should be expanded to include all pilot problems

this is a fine starting place to speak about the problems pilots have and how to deal with them.

funny, its ok to drink (regulation limits apply) but not take anti depressents

and you can get a year of full pay to detox, but you get half pay for being depressed.

nutty world.

[HarryMann]

To some extent, the Garuda Captain ignoring 15 warnings and landing when 98 kts too fast, despite FO advising him against, could be classed as pyschiatric, though a different category, transient... he was certainly under stress at home, whether self-made or otherwise.

[Lost in Saigon]

Canada's duty time regulations are a joke...BUT....

Air Canada has MUCH better rules in their contract. The contract is very complex with lots of rules regarding timezones, number of legs, time of day for departure and arrival, total flight time, total duty day, etc.

Basically any flight scheduled over 9 hours gate to gate gets a relief pilot or augment pilot.

YYZ-LHR, YYZ-CDG, only gets 2 pilots.

YYZ-ZRH, YYZ-FRA, YYZ-FCO gets a relief pilot on the return leg only. (Dead head in the back eastbound)

YVR-LHR, YYC-LHR, YYZ-TLV, Gets 3 pilots both ways.

YYZ-HKG, YVR-SYD gets 4 pilots (1 CA, 2 FO, 1 Relief Pilot)

[exgroundcrew]

Re post 14, I got the message!

I trust most viewers did see this apparent disclosure of the FOs name as a sarcastic response to what looked like a reporter attempting to get some info, although I suggest your really meant the character Captain Clarence Oveur from the movie Airplane, would have been fun seeing the press googling this name to try and dig up some dirt!

[st7860]

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/n...e3b008&k=14039

"
"His voice was clear, he didn't sound like he was drunk or anything, but he was swearing and asking for God," he said in an interview from England.
"He specifically said he wants to talk to God."
The airline's spokesman, Peter Fitzpatrick, declined Tuesday to divulge any details about the pilot's medical condition, including confirming media reports that the pilot has been taken to a psychiatric hospital in Shannon, Ireland."

[innuendo]

Hi Smith747:
Quote "It is is tempting to sell productivity (in terms of hard earned extra pilot agreements of the past) for a new pay or pension deal."Quote.

I am sure that you did not intend to imply that the AC pilot group succumbed to the temptation to settle for excessive duty periods in return for sweet deals in terms of pay and pension.
However in Canada, the basics of the situation are that Canadian regs allow for some pretty long duty times as has been mentioned previously in the thread. The AC pilot group have had to spend a lot of their bargaining dollar to negotiate as realistic a duty period they can get. It is a bit frustrating to have to do that when you see other pilot groups operate with more realistic duty rigs courtesy of their national authorities.

[PJ2]

Re Post #26 Innuendo;

At the risk of a mild diversion, since the topic was broached:

The AC pilot group have had to spend a lot of their bargaining dollar to negotiate as realistic a duty period they can get. It is a bit frustrating to have to do that when you see other pilot groups operate with more realistic duty rigs courtesy of their national authorities.

Absolutely correct. Not only that but the YVR - HKG flight quoted earlier was almost always a 3-pilot operation, dead-heading the 4th pilot over and working him/her back. Mach speed-up techniques were frequently employed to avoid requiring the use of the 4th pilot, so opposed was the airline to a 4th pilot. After almost a decade of operation, the 4th pilot was finally established both ways but not before many needless distractions and pre-departure confrontations. The matter was entirely industrial; safety and recognition of fatigue issues never came into the equation and had nothing to do with the outcome, which is, despite all, a good one.

The numbers quoted by another poster on AC's augmentation reflect current contractual requirements. The FT/DD CARS are an atrocious and embarrassing anachronism, the product of ATA lobbying, which all Canadian operators have had to rectify through industrial means, (downloading of costs etc).

WRT [with regard to] the incident under discussion, it is my fervent hope that the person involved is, in time, returned to the line, healthy and fit. As I posted, Air Canada has pioneered many solutions to pilot health issues and is quietly but firmly committed to doing so for it's crews. The airline has excellent health support programs for cockpit and cabin crews. After all, it only makes good business sense as well.

One thing that can be taken from this is, for the fourth time this year we can take heart in knowing that SOPs, training and crew coordination from cool heads "up front", and "in the back" prevailed and the safety of passengers was maintained. The "system" worked. SLF's, (sorry - hate that term), take note: - So far, it has worked four times this year; Training and experience pay.

PJ2

[Liffy]

Quote:

One thing that can be taken from this is, for the fourth time this year (and twice involving Air Canada crews), we can take heart in knowing that SOPs, training and crew coordination from cool heads "up front", and "in the back" prevailed and the safety of passengers was maintained. The "system" worked. SLF's, (sorry - hate that term), take note: - So far, it has worked four times this year; Training and experience pay.

Unquote.

PJ2

Very well said!

[Sallyann1234]

The story has now made it to the BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7217977.stm
Strange that we never hear about a bus driver being taken ill, or a train driver.

[PAXboy]

I think that illness amongst train and bus drivers are not reported because their vehicles are already on the ground. The train has automatic braking systems and the bus may hurt a few people if the driver loses conciousness - but as far as the media are concerned - not enough people.

RobertS975 said it right about other conditions. I had been in a conversation with a woman for ten minutes when she lost the power of speech but was vocal. I helped carry her to the first aid facility in the building. I was told a few weeks later that she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. From it growing over time to the moment when it affected her entire body was a change like a light-switch had moved.

It is possible that the local medics in SNN had not seen a case like this before, it is possible that their erred on the side of caution. Doubtless all the tests will be run.

As to those who want to reveal his name? Wait until the press turn up on YOUR family's doorstep to ask about your entire life to date.

[Capt.KAOS]

"His voice was clear so he didn't sound drunk or anything. He was swearing and asking for God and very distressed. He basically said he wanted to talk to God."

I'm surprised he wasn't immediately transported to Guantanamo Bay?

[rab-k]

Hope the guy gets some well deserved R&R courtesy of a company that cares about their employees enough to put the corporate hand in the coffers when needed.

"Insanity is often the logic of an accurate mind overtasked". ~ Oliver W. Holmes, Sr., The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table, 1858.

[jackharr]

I'm reminded of a lovely occasion when after landing at XYZ, a
passenger came up to the flight deck (they were allowed to in the days
before 9/11). He was an Irish priest and wanted to give the two
pilots a "New Testament" each.

I declined politely saying that I was an Atheist. The co-pilot was
equally polite in her refusal saying that she was Jewish! The priest
slunk away somewhat chastened.

Jack

[QDMQDMQDM]

It is possible that the local medics in SNN had not seen a case like this before...

This is not all that unusual and there is a standard procedure. In any case of acute psychosis in an otherwise previously mentally healthy person it is standard to exclude an organic cause, such as a brain tumour, before diagnosing and treating psychiatric illness. A lot of brain tumours get diagnosed on psychiatric wards.

Whatevever the final answer, this is undoubtedly a tragedy for this poor fellow.

QDM (GP)

[m500dpp]

reported on Radio 4 tonight. Cruel, should have just said that the pilot was taken ill and the plane landed to get medical assistance and left it at that.

I hope the pilot recovers fully and quickly, my best wishes are with him.

(slf)

[Ranger 1]

I have had first hand experiences of People who have Hypoglycemia, (Low blood sugar) they have ranged from being violent, totaly confused,& irrational, to unconcious.
I saw one instance where a fight on an aircraft was started, then the person was off loaded, only to start another in a departure lounge, before collapsing before getting medical help.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hyp...198/DSECTION=2

Speedy recovery to him what ever the diagnosis

[QDMQDMQDM]

I have had first hand experiences of People who have Hypoglycemia, (Low blood sugar) they have ranged from being violent, totaly confused,& irrational, to unconcious.
I saw one instance where a fight on an aircraft was started, then the person was off loaded, only to start another in a departure lounge, before collapsing before getting medical help.

True hypoglycaemia is an infinitesimally rare diagnosis in anyone who is not already known to be a diabetic and diabetics don't hold pilot's licences. People who say they are 'feeling hypo' generally aren't. They are generally just annoyed and irritable because they are hungry.

[Solnyshko]

Well, as might be expected the press are treating this with due sensitivity

For those of you denied access to our fine London evening editions...

[iskandra]

...and then some people ask why his name should not be revealed...they would immediately start a witch hunt.

And yes, sometimes perfectly "normal" people do suddenly "crack up". Sometimes they have known themselves that somethings wrong for a while and just didn't show it (due to the above-mentioned reasons), and sometimes...they don't and it comes as a surprise to them as well.

[Airbubba]

True hypoglycaemia is an infinitesimally rare diagnosis in anyone who is not already known to be a diabetic and diabetics don't hold pilot's licences.

Don't know about Canada but diabetics certainly pilot airliners in the U.S., I had a friend with type 2 diabetes brief me on his situation a few days ago. He's back flying the line.

See: http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/.../amd/diabetes/