Passenger lands Cessna Caravan in West Palm Beach after pilot incapacitation
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I'm pretty sure that a Caravan is still small enough that you could see the cockpit from the back row. Everyone that has any snap at all would know that something "ain't right" up front if the pilot is slumped over/falling out of the seat.
Obba,
Your misinterpreting that photo. The Passinger is not a Student pilot, nor is the other person his instructor. It was meant in jest since the guy on the left was the tower operator who “instructed” the non pilot how to land the Caravan.
Your misinterpreting that photo. The Passinger is not a Student pilot, nor is the other person his instructor. It was meant in jest since the guy on the left was the tower operator who “instructed” the non pilot how to land the Caravan.
Moderator
he was there because I knew nothing about the aircraft systems etc
I recall you and I doing something along those lines years ago at Essendon. Wx rough as guts, never been in one before, and you flew the bird like it was an early morning calm high pressure system. Best I could ever do with that Type was throw it ungracefully on the runway. I still shake my head occasionally when I think back to that project/flight.
I just wish more folks would have a bit more background on their profile
Gums, good sir, you can rest assured that zzuf is the real deal.
I recall you and I doing something along those lines years ago at Essendon. Wx rough as guts, never been in one before, and you flew the bird like it was an early morning calm high pressure system. Best I could ever do with that Type was throw it ungracefully on the runway. I still shake my head occasionally when I think back to that project/flight.
I just wish more folks would have a bit more background on their profile
Gums, good sir, you can rest assured that zzuf is the real deal.
Ahh JT, now don't spoil the illusion by posting pics of my hauling, a one engine inoperative, DC9 off the edge of the runway at Avalon to avoid the grass - during those crosswind, engine failure tests. But I think that I had one previous flight in the DC9 prior to that, so was miles in front. Learned how quickly things can become very limiting, with engine failures, around Vmcg with strong crosswinds.
Moderator
Indeed, the runway width tests were interesting. I can still recall watching the video viewfinder from runway head with the Vmcg cuts (probably still have the tapes in the bottom of one of the archive cabinets) .... Diesel out to the left, out to the right, eventually where you were aiming to put it ... for those who haven't played with videos and 1000 mm lenses, it's fun. Conventional airline jock wisdom was that the Diesel was locked to the centreline. Guess no-one had had any Vmcg failures in training or on the line ?
Actually, I was going back to the Aztruck/Navajo target towing mod program ....
Actually, I was going back to the Aztruck/Navajo target towing mod program ....
Co-pilot
Back in the early 90s I flew a lot with "Air Sunshine"in twin engined nine seaters.All but once I sat in the right hand seat for three hours over the Bahamas to Miami.
As ex RAF elect I recognised most of the controls and instruments but never had to do what the Caravan chap had to do!Could I do it?I would have a good chance!Oh before flight sim was available!Dis sit in the captains seat of a shack once while skipper went down the back!!
As ex RAF elect I recognised most of the controls and instruments but never had to do what the Caravan chap had to do!Could I do it?I would have a good chance!Oh before flight sim was available!Dis sit in the captains seat of a shack once while skipper went down the back!!
There's two pilots who frequent my local watering hole. One flies high-performance piston singles, and the other twinjets for a LCC. One evening I asked them that if they swapped aircraft, who would crash first? IIRC both immediately said "me".
Juan Browne from the youtube blancolirio channel has done a couple of interesting videos on the subject. The Last one us the Tracon area controller and part time flying instructor who talked him down. I believe that today, Monday, he is doing a third interview and video with the pilot/passenger who landed the aircraft so hopefully we'll know more after that interview.
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Watched the interview with the controller.
The passenger/pilot asked "shouldn't we put flaps?" so they put in flaps but the pilot said the plane felt unsteady, didn't seem willing/able to trim it out, so they took out the flaps.
They pulled out the pilot's radio headset when they moved him out of the way, sounds like they damaged the connectors in the process.
The Garmin was black? How did that happen?
bluepost22
The passenger/pilot asked "shouldn't we put flaps?" so they put in flaps but the pilot said the plane felt unsteady, didn't seem willing/able to trim it out, so they took out the flaps.
They pulled out the pilot's radio headset when they moved him out of the way, sounds like they damaged the connectors in the process.
The Garmin was black? How did that happen?
bluepost22
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Watched the interview with the controller.
The passenger/pilot asked "shouldn't we put flaps?" so they put in flaps but the pilot said the plane felt unsteady, didn't seem willing/able to trim it out, so they took out the flaps.
They pulled out the pilot's radio headset when they moved him out of the way, sounds like they damaged the connectors in the process.
The Garmin was black? How did that happen?
bluepost22
The passenger/pilot asked "shouldn't we put flaps?" so they put in flaps but the pilot said the plane felt unsteady, didn't seem willing/able to trim it out, so they took out the flaps.
They pulled out the pilot's radio headset when they moved him out of the way, sounds like they damaged the connectors in the process.
The Garmin was black? How did that happen?
bluepost22
Anyway, kudos to this guy (and/or the guy in the right seat) and the controller who talked him down. I regularly have problems talking down guys in more simple airplanes while sitting nest to them.
I read elsewhere that the pilot-passenger says he "dragged the pilot out of his seat".
It is almost impossible to remove a pilot from a 737 seat if incapacitated, even with all the considerable space around. Having flown the Caravan extensively and knowing the houdini -like exercise it is to get a fully mobile person from front seats to cabin I thoroughly doubt this part of the story so for me it casts some doubt on the veracity of other details too.
He did well if he pulled off a flapless landing too, those things are quite reluctant to slow down and float forever landing flap up.
It is almost impossible to remove a pilot from a 737 seat if incapacitated, even with all the considerable space around. Having flown the Caravan extensively and knowing the houdini -like exercise it is to get a fully mobile person from front seats to cabin I thoroughly doubt this part of the story so for me it casts some doubt on the veracity of other details too.
He did well if he pulled off a flapless landing too, those things are quite reluctant to slow down and float forever landing flap up.