FA helps American Airlines Land

[Volasl]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/06/15/flight.attendant.landing/


(CNN) -- A flight attendant with a pilot's license ditched her normal duties and stepped in for a sick co-pilot of an American Airlines flight before the plane landed in Chicago, Illinois, airline officials said.
The first officer had become sick with 'flulike' symptoms yesterday, according to Tim Wagner, a spokesman for American Airlines. "He went back into the passenger cabin," he said. "That's when the captain began to solicit help from any passengers with a pilot's license."
One of the five flight attendants on board flight 1612 from San Francisco, California, told the captain that she is a commercial pilot, and she immediately took over the first officer's responsibilities, Wagner said.
"She called things out, and read through the pre-landing checklist," he said, adding that it was a very smooth transition.
The plane, carrying 225 passengers and seven crew members, landed safely at O'Hare International Airport, at 4:24 p.m. Monday. No one was hurt.
The first officer, who is based in Chicago, was immediately taken to the hospital by paramedics waiting on the ground. He was treated and released and was resting Tuesday, Wagner said.
"The entire incident was handled very well on all accounts," Wagner said." He was not able to elaborate on the flight attendant's background or provide any details into her piloting experience. The flight attendant is based in San Francisco, the captain in St. Louis, Missouri.

 

[Lear70]

She'll be telling that story for years... "heeeere I come to save the daaaayyy"... *snerk*

 

[General Lee]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/06/15/flight.attendant.landing/


(CNN) -- A flight attendant with a pilot's license ditched her normal duties and stepped in for a sick co-pilot of an American Airlines flight before the plane landed in Chicago, Illinois, airline officials said.
The first officer had become sick with 'flulike' symptoms yesterday, according to Tim Wagner, a spokesman for American Airlines. "He went back into the passenger cabin," he said. "That's when the captain began to solicit help from any passengers with a pilot's license."
One of the five flight attendants on board flight 1612 from San Francisco, California, told the captain that she is a commercial pilot, and she immediately took over the first officer's responsibilities, Wagner said.
"She called things out, and read through the pre-landing checklist," he said, adding that it was a very smooth transition.
The plane, carrying 225 passengers and seven crew members, landed safely at O'Hare International Airport, at 4:24 p.m. Monday. No one was hurt.
The first officer, who is based in Chicago, was immediately taken to the hospital by paramedics waiting on the ground. He was treated and released and was resting Tuesday, Wagner said.
"The entire incident was handled very well on all accounts," Wagner said." He was not able to elaborate on the flight attendant's background or provide any details into her piloting experience. The flight attendant is based in San Francisco, the captain in St. Louis, Missouri.

Hey, some guy in the back named Al Kada wanted to help out. He said he had about 30 hours in "straight and level."


Bye Bye----General Lee

 

[NoJoy]

Good one.

 

[Flying the Line]

Hey, some guy in the back named Al Kada wanted to help out. He said he had about 30 hours in "straight and level."


Bye Bye----General Lee

The most classless post ever on FI.

 

[scoreboardII]

How is this a surprise?

 

[ron burgundy]

They should make a movie about this....Oh wait..kinda already been done. She will probably be offered some kinda reality show gig.

 

[flynryan15]

OJ GOD! They already think they control the friggin plane and now this! I can't wait to hear the comments from the aisle donkey's now!

 

[jonjuan]

Sounds like she should be added to the SCAB list. Damn, if she is to take flying away from pilots on the AMR seniority list.....

 

[General Lee]

The most classless post ever on FI.

Whatever you idiot. You have zero sense of humor. You are a ZERO. Maybe once you were a hero, but now you are a ZERO. Why would the Captain get on the PA and ask for anyone with flying time? You think he would ask the stews first maybe, not just do a full PA. Regardless, you are still a big ZERO.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[ozpilot]

Wow - whats with you guys? Sounds like she did a great job! Why not ask the Captain?

 

[Raoul Duke]

would that leg get paid at FO rate or FA rate?

 

[GuppyWN]

Sorry but I'm not letting the general public in my cockpit inflight.

I'll take a stew and give her a checklist but Joe Public will meet my Leetle Friend if he steps into my office.

Good job by the Flight Attendant. She'll make great bar talk.

Gup

 

[crashpad]

Sorry but I'm not letting the general public in my cockpit inflight.

I'll take a stew and give her a checklist but Joe Public will meet my Leetle Friend if he steps into my office.

Good job by the Flight Attendant. She'll make great bar talk.

Gup

Agreed, I can single pilot if necessary (did it once already in similar situation), but no pax in the flight deck. If it's an emergency requiring extra hands, I'd take another crew member without thinking twice.

Good Job FA.

 

[bgaviator]

Does anyone know at what point in the flight this occurred? Was it just prior to landing, or did it happen more enroute? I would just think that if it was still enroute, it would have been more practical to land at a nearest suitable, remove the f/o, and go from there. Must have been pretty sick to not be able to continue duties....not trying to put down what happened, it just raises some more questions for me.

 

[Lear70]

Hey, some guy in the back named Al Kada wanted to help out. He said he had about 30 hours in "straight and level."


Bye Bye----General Lee

I'm assuming you're being snide to point out the fact that it would have been a terrible security breach and an epic case of bad judgment to let an unknown passenger up into the flight deck in this day and age...

If that's not what you meant, then yes, the post was in poor taste. If that IS what you meant, then never mind, I got the sarcasm, but it took me a read or two (and several years of reading your posts) to get it. Internet humor/sarcasm doesn't come across very well unless you explain it or somewhat know the poster's writing style.

 

[inline]

The FA said "she's a commercial pilot." I'll bet that she has a commercial certificate but she doesn't fly planes for a commercial operator, there's a difference. When you read AOPA magazine, everybody and their dog is a " commercial pilot."

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

It is not uncommon for airlines to bring a non-employee up in the cockpit when 1 pilot is incapacitated...In the last few years at US airlines, AF guys, civilian pilots, etc. have helped out up front. When it is an emergency you should do whatever it is that will help improve the chances of a positive outcome.

cliff
LFW

 

[bgaviator]

I agree....but "flu-like symptoms" doesn't quite sound like an emergency to me....I think I could technically still keep flying if I was feeling flu like symptoms...unless I was heaving my guts out maybe.....if it was a heart attack, then definitely an emergency. So does anyone know if this occurred as they were already starting the arrival or approach into Chicago, or did this happen more en-route?

Hi!

It is not uncommon for airlines to bring a non-employee up in the cockpit when 1 pilot is incapacitated...In the last few years at US airlines, AF guys, civilian pilots, etc. have helped out up front. When it is an emergency you should do whatever it is that will help improve the chances of a positive outcome.

cliff
LFW

 

[Lear70]

Hi!

It is not uncommon for airlines to bring a non-employee up in the cockpit when 1 pilot is incapacitated...In the last few years at US airlines, AF guys, civilian pilots, etc. have helped out up front. When it is an emergency you should do whatever it is that will help improve the chances of a positive outcome.

cliff
LFW

You can. I won't. Not in this day and age, no way, no how, not a chance in hell...

Someone I knew? Sure. Have an extra F/A to run the radios? A commuting or deadheading pilot that works for your airline or someone that's been CASS verified? Sure.

Otherwise, a complete stranger? I can fly the plane just fine on my own with an incapacitated pilot and would prefer that over the risk of an unknown in the flight deck with me.

YMMV

 

[flynryan15]

The FA said "she's a commercial pilot." I'll bet that she has a commercial certificate but she doesn't fly planes for a commercial operator, there's a difference. When you read AOPA magazine, everybody and their dog is a " commercial pilot."

Actually I knew of a couple mainline FA's that were also regional pilots.

 

[Redmeat]

The FA said "she's a commercial pilot." I'll bet that she has a commercial certificate but she doesn't fly planes for a commercial operator.

Wow Sherlock...Ya think?!!

What gave it away?...the fact that she WORKS FOR AMERICAN AIRLINES AS A FLIGHT ATTENDANT?!!

Good Christ...sometimes I can't take the stupidity.

 

[Mr Wu]

Actually I knew of a couple mainline FA's that were also regional pilots.

At the same time? I'm throwing the BS flag.

 

[Lear70]

At the same time? I'm throwing the BS flag.

We had one at Pinnacle.

He was a fairly senior AA F/A, dropped most of his trips to fly for Pinnacle, bid minimum days at PCL as well, flew for AA as a F/A when he was off. I called B.S. too, he showed me his I.D. and logged onto AA's scheduling software to show me how he was bouncing back and forth in bidding... crazy.

Have no idea what he's doing now, probably still at PCL, he got hired about a year before I left and that was 2006...

That said, I agree, this F/A was probably a Commercially "rated" pilot still trying to break into a Regional or charter gig or maybe even still flight instructing.

 

[BILL LUMBERG]

Somehow the AMR guys will staple her to the bottom!!

 

[GravityHater]

anyone hear how the fo is?

 

[Caveman]

I agree with Lear and a few others. There's no way I'm letting an unknown gain access to the cockpit in this day and age. Unless I'm dealing with a Sioux City type scenario I can fly the plane just fine single pilot. A FA or CASS verified OAL crewmember occupying the other seat is helpful, but not necessary. Good job to the CA for using an available resource and good job to the FA for stepping up.

OTOH, we all know that her being in the cockpit was more an exercise in CRM CYA than it was a real benefit. She read the checklist? BFD. Totally unnecessary. If the CA hadn't used her he would have to explain himself to the feds for not using a resource. Was she helpful? Yeah, I guess to some degree. Did her presence materially add to the safe outcome of the flight. Not even remotely.

 

[clr4theapch]

Help in an emergency?

Lear I understand your concern for obvious reasons, however... lets just say in an example given your F/O has a Heart attack.. your call the F/A to see if anyone on board is an airline pilot but none is found but an older guy that holds a private instrument, shows his license, drivers license and he is true America red white and blue..

You would not ask him to come up front to help out with check lists and radio work? what if you your aircraft was already having some trouble enroute (maybe the cause of the F/O stress) and you had your hands full keeping the airplane upright??

What if it was a guy like me, has not flown acft in while, is a dispatcher as well (but out of work, so not in CASS)? Think I might be a help or be a hinderence..?

Even if I never had been trained on that equipment, I think I can pull a QRH or get the FOM emergency section out and read it to you.. make calls to MX or ATC.. Check breakers etc..

Just asking, as these are such rare occurrances anyway, just interesting to see how we think in this post 911 era... how much we would risk to avoid opening that flight deck door...

Yea yea.. this possibility would be like hitting the lotto 2 times in the same month...

 

[embpic1]

We had one at Pinnacle.

That said, I agree, this F/A was probably a Commercially "rated" pilot still trying to break into a Regional or charter gig or maybe even still flight instructing.

She is 61 so I doubt she is trying to get to a regional. I like how the first thing she asked the captain was "Where are the brakes?" Huh?

 

[clr4theapch]

i like how the first thing she asked the captain was "where are the brakes?" huh?

lol....