Even after years of airline flying, with a sick or incapacitated passenger and no information to go on, it would not be a simple decision (at least for me) to choose the perfect airport, depending on aircraft weight, approach speed/landing distance required-requiring almost no flare, WHAM! max braking...high terrain, runway and navaid situations could influence the outcome. Or, whether to just land at the nearest airport; is an emergency clinic/hospital nearby...does anyone else onboard have his/her medication...blood pressure/breathing ok?.

The fact that the young brand-new pilot got the very different plane quickly on the ground while controlling something faster with more (and two of them) engine control levers, was quite a feat.

Not to mention all of this right after regaining control of an airplane, reportedly at a very low altitude.

It was enough for me to figure intercept angles/altitudes/energy levels on "Microsoft, Combat Flight Simulator 2, WW2 Pacific Theater".

I agree with tiger burn - Capt's post is spot on. Melanie did a great job. I only have about 50 hours and whilst it might seem like a cool idea to do what Melanie did, in reality I think most pilots, if they are honest, would not like to face the unenviable position Melanie found herself in with only 50 hrs of experience.

Melanie, Outstanding job!

As they say, "Any landing you can walk away from is a GOOD landing!".

I am reposting this suggestion because this thread is getting long.

For those who said thanks for the link, I say thank you for taking the time to e-mail Melanie.

For those participants of this forum who would like to send Ms. Melanie Oswalt a congratulatory e-mail, send to: [email protected] . .I did and bet she would greatly appreciate some more "positive" e-mails, i.e. credit where credit is certainly due.

:) :) :)

[ 13 February 2002: Message edited by: Capt PPRuNe ]

[ 13 February 2002: Message edited by: Check 6 ]</p>

...hey there are landings and there are arrivals!!!! Both, except for new props, a little bondo and paint,accomplish the same ! <img src="cool.gif" border="0"> <img src="wink.gif" border="0"> <img src="tongue.gif" border="0"> ...I think she should be commended for an inovative short field landing !. . <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

It was just as well to have the gear up, so as to come to a proper stop. At night on such a short pavement! <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">

Right on glueball..

Loved steepclimb post on P1. ,probably would have put gear down landed too fast and killed everone.!!!!!!!!

I've flown around the Cape and airports like P-Town and Chatham are delightful by day and in good viz.

At night (and the Cape is prone to mist/fog), in a high performance complex twin (which is nowhere near as forgiving as a 172 (which is what Melanie will have been likely to have flown at Chatham), then thats a whole new ball game.

She did very well. (in my amateur opinion as a few hundred hour PPL) In fact I hope I would be able to do as well and also hope that I never have to try........

Capt PPRuNe

Thanks for your response to the unresponsive (un-"interesting"). <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">

Job well done to the young pilot.

Fulfill the apparent challenge and "white-out" what's his name. <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">

Just one addition to what others have added.

I suppose one could argue that, having taken the controls, the best course of action might have been to simply fly straight and level (having pointed yourself towards dry land, given the location) until you've sorted yourself out. Then you could call for help on the radio, and they could give you vectors to a suitable landing facility and, if needed, instruction on how to deploy the gear etc.

HOWEVER, and I haven't seen anyone point this out in the discussion so far, the other factor in this case was that there was also an incapacitated, possibly quite sick pilot. I would think that one would consider getting him on the ground and to help to be a matter of some urgency, thus arguing against the "take your time and do everything perfectly" approach.

So my hat's off to the lady. May I do half as well, should I ever be in a similar situation (currently 280 hrs, PPL/VFR).

Quick question for Mr Interested: Had you at 50 hours had any experience flying a side by side dual control aircraft from the right hand seat?? I didn't and I would hazard a guess that most other pilots wouldn't have either.

If anyone remembers the first time they flew from the right and how different it felt from the left they would realise that for a fifty hour pilot to land a high performance twin from the right at night knowing that no one else was going to do it can surely be described as 'heroic'.

Are you sure you could have done as well as our heroine Mr Interested? I'm not sure I could have...

Can't be to many "authors" with 6000 hours of flying behind them, wonder who this prat is?

Spagiola: I tried to describe in a previous remark some of the factors that can influence one's decision, if the information is available. We can even use a 'flite phone' in the cabin and push the buttons for ' *DOC ', and be connected quickly to the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, MN.

If anyone has a simple, effective, always reliable method for determining the ideal decision for various medical symptoms (is it really a heart attack? Could the so-called 'drunk' have very high or low blood sugar? Maybe Type 1 diabetes: like my wife), which balances help for the ill passenger or crewmember AND the safety of everyone else onboard, please post it somewhere on Rumours and News.

Even our "Flight Ops Manual", designed by pilots who often have at least 10,000-20,000 hours of turbine transport experience (most of it DC-9, 727 etc thru 747-400 experience), are unable to describe the perfect solution for each medical situation. The first step is normally to ask the FO to 'fly the plane', as with most problems requiring consulatation somewhere. Pardon my paragraphs, I can't "defragment" them and be clear.

[ 15 February 2002: Message edited by: Ignition Override ]</p>

" calling on her extensive training and local knowledge, Melanie elected to land gear up so as to minimise the chances of overrunning what she knew was a short runway."

Nobody thought of that one yet?

Well done girl!

Sorry folks, I don't mean to change the direction here but this just made the local Boston press today:

"

Pilot who passed out has diabetes, criminal record

. .By Corey Dade, Globe Staff, 2/15/2002

Cape Air pilot who passed out at the controls of a flight last week has had his license revoked for a second time, and records show he has been convicted of drug trafficking and firearms violations - information the airline said it didn't have when he was hired five years ago.



It was a favorable evaluation from a Federal Aviation Administration doctor that led Cape Air a month ago to restore Ronald N. Crews, 50, to full flying status after he returned from a medical leave of absence, allowing him in the air without a copilot. The airline would not confirm the nature of Crews's ailment, but an industry source familiar with the pilot's medical record said Crews has diabetes. He could not be reached for comment.

The FAA has refused to discuss the ongoing investigation. Meanwhile, Cape Air said it has begun to reexamine the health records of all 100 of its pilots, and is determining whether it will raise its standards for pilots returning to the air.

"

As for Cape Air, once the economy starts growing and fuloughed pilots start getting recalled, Cape Air might not receive too many applications from experienced pilots-they might want to employ a second pilot for insurance (new Ops Specs?) reasons, whether they choose to pay her/him or not?

My brother flew Twin Commanders a few years ago for a good company at Kansas City's Downtown Airport, and a number of younger European pilots paid the owners, in order to help fly the all-night (cancelled check) routes as copilot and log the multi-engine cross-country time.

[ 18 February 2002: Message edited by: Ignition Override ]</p>

I sent the lady an email, quite simple <img src="redface.gif" border="0"> UTSTANDING!!!, and for helping keep the SAR world a little more boring.

I think for here to bring it in, gear up or not, was terrific.

She deserves all the credit one can get for shuch an effort. Just the imagine the difference in the press if this story would have ended in a tragic way it so easily could have done. To all its readers she will be a hero and add to a positive image aviation so badly suffers from. She will get an E-mail from me to congratulate her for an extraordinary effort.

Just a note to all those persons who find this side an ideal façade to vent their frustrations and ill formed opinions and negative remarks......I do wonder sometimes what lives you guy’s lead or indeed in what state you entered your adult live......fascinating stuff. . . :)

L X-

Kudos to the heroine of Cape Air! Unfortunately there are so many similar stories written by journalists who are bent on promoting women that the integrity of any such story must be examined with skepticism. Alas, when a real feat is performed, we tend to treat it with the same jaundiced view. If we could have dispensed with all the "Debbie drives a truck" stories over the years, this outstanding performance would have received its just recognition.