Passenger lands Cessna Caravan in West Palm Beach after pilot incapacitation
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: England
Age: 75
Posts: 1,101
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If I'm taking a passenger with me in a light aircraft and they're sitting in the copilot's seat I brief them on the operation of the radio transmit switch: the rationale is that if I become incapacitated my passenger can summon assistance. But to avoid alarm I say: 'If my transmit button goes u/s you can do the radio comms for me'.
How Do We Fly the Plane?
How Do We Fly the Plane?
Last edited by Discorde; 12th May 2022 at 18:48. Reason: briefing added
Salute!
Thanks, zz and Fathom and JT.
I just wish more folks would have a bit more background on their profile so we could judge who is a Walter Mitty or armchair test pilot.
Gums sends...
Thanks, zz and Fathom and JT.
I just wish more folks would have a bit more background on their profile so we could judge who is a Walter Mitty or armchair test pilot.
Gums sends...
Dodgy story.
How the hell would a non-pilot know how to stick 7700 in the box of a G1000 - which I think this particular 208 was equipped with?
Bound to come out that he was FAA PPL - just not rated on the Caravan.
How the hell would a non-pilot know how to stick 7700 in the box of a G1000 - which I think this particular 208 was equipped with?
Bound to come out that he was FAA PPL - just not rated on the Caravan.
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Canada
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
He never managed to ident, let alone squawk 7700.
Official FAA statement with more details:
https://medium.com/faa/miracle-in-th...y-27362004f07c
- Two passengers on board
- One of them picked up the controls as the pilot lost consciousness and the airplane entered a dive in a sharp turn. (6000 ft/min according to Flightaware).
- FAA confirms the passenger had zero flight training
- No word yet on the pilot condition
Official FAA statement with more details:
https://medium.com/faa/miracle-in-th...y-27362004f07c
- Two passengers on board
- One of them picked up the controls as the pilot lost consciousness and the airplane entered a dive in a sharp turn. (6000 ft/min according to Flightaware).
- FAA confirms the passenger had zero flight training
- No word yet on the pilot condition
Originally Posted by Machdiamond
He never managed to ident, let alone squawk 7700.
Official FAA statement with more details:
https://medium.com/faa/miracle-in-th...y-27362004f07c
- Two passengers on board
- One of them picked up the controls as the pilot lost consciousness and the airplane entered a dive in a sharp turn. (6000 ft/min according to Flightaware).
- FAA confirms the passenger had zero flight training
- No word yet on the pilot condition
Official FAA statement with more details:
https://medium.com/faa/miracle-in-th...y-27362004f07c
- Two passengers on board
- One of them picked up the controls as the pilot lost consciousness and the airplane entered a dive in a sharp turn. (6000 ft/min according to Flightaware).
- FAA confirms the passenger had zero flight training
- No word yet on the pilot condition
That makes more sense. In that case Good Effort and well done.
Do we know how the incapacitated Pilot is yet?
Last edited by Auxtank; 12th May 2022 at 20:02.
FOX news website says the hospital reports the original pilot is "stabilized."
Over here we have strict HIPAA privacy laws - hospitals will not release anything more specific without patient or family consent.
And the FAA won't either, unless/until they identify something actually significant to aviation safety or operations (like a fumes event, O2 failure (not likely at that altitude) or similar). Simply passing out for personal medical reasons won't qualify.
CNN has a sped-up video of the actual touchdown here - not much to see, possibly a slightly flat attitude and minor bounce, but still an "A+" effort for a non-pilot: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/f...ane/index.html
Over here we have strict HIPAA privacy laws - hospitals will not release anything more specific without patient or family consent.
And the FAA won't either, unless/until they identify something actually significant to aviation safety or operations (like a fumes event, O2 failure (not likely at that altitude) or similar). Simply passing out for personal medical reasons won't qualify.
CNN has a sped-up video of the actual touchdown here - not much to see, possibly a slightly flat attitude and minor bounce, but still an "A+" effort for a non-pilot: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/f...ane/index.html
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: 5Y
Posts: 578
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It has to be said the the Caravan is a very 'steady' aircraft to fly. In terms of pure handling, probably easier to control than a C172; although of course a vastly more complex aircraft to fully manage. But still, an extraordinary achievement by the passenger and the ATCO who talked him down over the phone.
Join Date: Apr 2022
Location: France
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by gums
Salute!
..
I always wondered if I could handle a B737 or Bus 320 if asked. Never flew a heavy, but aero is aero, and if I could work the radios I could make a good approach versus just giving up and becoming a smoking hole.
[size=33px]
..
I always wondered if I could handle a B737 or Bus 320 if asked. Never flew a heavy, but aero is aero, and if I could work the radios I could make a good approach versus just giving up and becoming a smoking hole.
[size=33px]
I think flying a medium jet is much more difficult, even if it's still an airplane.
You have automation to take into account, tail strike clearance, landing performance can be of concern as well.
I would not know the best advice to give to a non pilot alone at the controls, except if there was a CAT iii autoland available.
Interesting comparison: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-61422555
Originally Posted by CVividasku
I think flying a medium jet is much more difficult, even if it's still an airplane.
You have automation to take into account, tail strike clearance, landing performance can be of concern as well.
I would not know the best advice to give to a non pilot alone at the controls, except if there was a CAT iii autoland available.
You have automation to take into account, tail strike clearance, landing performance can be of concern as well.
I would not know the best advice to give to a non pilot alone at the controls, except if there was a CAT iii autoland available.
Of course, identifying such a person is going to require an interesting pa from the cabin crew .......
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Wintermute
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Genuinely laughing at all the denial.
This chap is just one of those people, albeit rare, who is just much, much better than you, likely at almost everything :-)
While it may be impossible to believe to an arrogant pilot, these people do exist.
This chap is just one of those people, albeit rare, who is just much, much better than you, likely at almost everything :-)
While it may be impossible to believe to an arrogant pilot, these people do exist.
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Benelux
Posts: 345
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
fergusd, I don't think that it's a question of denial, it was more about how it was presented by the press. All that is being said is that the guy must have had some knowledge to achieve what he did. It may well be that he spent hours on that aircraft in the right hand seat. It may well be that the pilot often let him have a go at basic flying. I have no pilot license but I have over the years handled light aircraft and even a PA-31 Navajo on one occasion. The press initially focused on the passenger as not knowing how to fly. I think that most are saying that he may not have had any formal experience but he must have had some raw basic knowledge to draw from.
Drain Bamaged
Originally Posted by fergusd
Genuinely laughing at all the denial.
This chap is just one of those people, albeit rare, who is just much, much better than you, likely at almost everything :-)
While it may be impossible to believe to an arrogant pilot, these people do exist.
This chap is just one of those people, albeit rare, who is just much, much better than you, likely at almost everything :-)
While it may be impossible to believe to an arrogant pilot, these people do exist.
Originally Posted by DuncanDoenitz
OTOH; there's a better probability of having someone else in the cabin with a close-to appropriate skillset.
Of course, identifying such a person is going to require an interesting pa from the cabin crew .......
Of course, identifying such a person is going to require an interesting pa from the cabin crew .......
Originally Posted by cbradio
What happened to the post suggesting gums was a Walter Mitty? - priceless!! 😀
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: at the edge of the alps
Posts: 438
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great job by both passenger and controller-instructor.
As for the difficulty, I did "sim experience" flights during otherwise unused A320 simulator slots a while ago. Those were sold to the public and while some customers were avid flight simmers who got it as a treat from their loved ones, a good many were absolutely new to aviation (other than flying as a passenger). Most managed a survivable landing within their 20 minutes of flying (3 sharing a 1-hour slot) flying a manual ILS ILS with autothrust. I dare say that if you have the option to fly a coupled ILS chances for a survivable (if not reusable) landing are good, even without autoland. The main issue would be communication and remaining fuel to talk the newbie passenger-pilot through the required setup.
As for the difficulty, I did "sim experience" flights during otherwise unused A320 simulator slots a while ago. Those were sold to the public and while some customers were avid flight simmers who got it as a treat from their loved ones, a good many were absolutely new to aviation (other than flying as a passenger). Most managed a survivable landing within their 20 minutes of flying (3 sharing a 1-hour slot) flying a manual ILS ILS with autothrust. I dare say that if you have the option to fly a coupled ILS chances for a survivable (if not reusable) landing are good, even without autoland. The main issue would be communication and remaining fuel to talk the newbie passenger-pilot through the required setup.
