Bomber pilot helped land airliner after captain fell ill

[JimNtexas]

The way I read the accounts it sounded like the PA asked for 'non-rev' pilots, and the Bone guy hit his call button when nobody responded. The FO was probably hoping for another airline pilot and figured the Bone guy was good enough.

What has happened in the past when one airline crewmember has become incapacitated?

 

[capt1900]

This represents the public and company understanding that if the captain becomes incapacitated then all lives are in grave danger. Heard a story of a captain who had a bad time with kidney stones mid flight. Message sent to dispatch to keep them in the loop and to inform them of the possibility of a diversion. First thing dispatch asked was, who is gonna taxi the airplane to the terminal if the captain can't? There is a big disconnect!

 

[flyboyike]

But, if Karen Black (circa 1975) was on the flight, I'd um, tap that resource right away.

Or Julia Hagerty. Say miss, the automatic pilot is deflating...

It's JuliE Hagerty. She would be another one competing with S. J. Parker and Kirsten Dunst in the hot body/weird face contest, and it would be a very close one indeed.

 

[livin'thesim]

Hey babe, you'd look hot with a post-coital smoke in your hands...

Kirsten Dunst is certainly the cutest of the three.

 

[densoo]

...........

 

[CTflyer]

Glad everything worked out OK. My question is centered on the wisdom of letting a stranger in the cockpit.

I am not to sure I would let a stranger in the cockpit in a situation like this, especially in a post 9/11 world.

Just a thought.

 

[Flying-Corporal]

Doesn't sound like you attended CRM
training.

Suppose the F/O had a heart attack!

You can't just sacrifice the entire aircraft
because you want to fly "Solo."

Suppose the meteorite struck the tailcone, or aliens landed on the left wing... Or the orbit of the Earth changed at that VERY moment... Suppose...

The sign on the cockpit door says "AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY". Sounds like that guy wasn't authorized to be there in flight.

Landing 'solo' is not a big deal esp if you pick a VFR airport with a long runway. Configure early, take your time and land. When you fly a normal approach, you call the speeds, decide when to set flaps and gears. The other guy is there to back you up. Unless you're a tv reporter, I can't understand why you would call it "sacrificing the entire aircraft".

Kinda reminds of a story a few years ago when 2 FO landed 777 in Newark and the media called it a 'Miracle Landing'...

 

[waveflyer]

AND you don't fly solo
You have one of the FAs in with you in case of said heart attack -
Let the other 2+ work the capt medical and go land

 

[KigAir]

That's our media for ya'.

How dramatic would this have been?

"F/O DOES HER JOB AS SHE WAS TRAINED. PASSENGERS NEVER IN DANGER"

Trained but not experienced?

"Surprisingly, taxiing was the most stressful part of the day for the first officer," said Gongol. "She had never taxied a 737 before and the ATC had no idea that the pilot was the reason for the emergency. We had to make a quick decision that her switching to the pilot's seat and taxiing the aircraft without the training was necessary to save the captain's life."

 

[kf4amu]

Glad everything worked out OK. My question is centered on the wisdom of letting a stranger in the cockpit.

I am not to sure I would let a stranger in the cockpit in a situation like this, especially in a post 9/11 world.

Just a thought.

If that stranger was a Taliban looking guy with hatred in his eyes, I'd choose someone else. But the chances of something bad happening are so remote it's sort of ridiculous.

 

[atpcliff]

It could have EASILY been a terrorist act. All they had to do was find a US airline captain that was about to have a heart attack in flight. Then coerce him into joining their cause. Then get a trained terrorist into the US, and have them scheduled for the same flight.

Then, when the Captain had a heart attack, they could show the FAs their fake credentials, or know how to answer the FOs questions, and take their place on the flight deck and take over the aircraft.

The terrorists probably have a fake pilots flying on every US flight with a flight deck crew member with a heart condition...just in case.

If it was me alone, I am finding a pilot to help me out. If there are none, then I am getting the most confident Cabin Crew up there to help out.

 

[wms]

In that situation any goober could've said he was a pilot and got in the cockpit. There are bad guys flying the system and waiting for opportunities, this could have been an opportunity.

But more important is what we r trained to do; and at our airline it's land single-pilot. It would be a bigger distraction trying to fly and familiarize someone on the the airplane.

 

[livin'thesim]

It could have EASILY been a terrorist act. All they had to do was find a US airline captain that was about to have a heart attack in flight. Then coerce him into joining their cause. Then get a trained terrorist into the US, and have them scheduled for the same flight.

Then, when the Captain had a heart attack, they could show the FAs their fake credentials, or know how to answer the FOs questions, and take their place on the flight deck and take over the aircraft.

The terrorists probably have a fake pilots flying on every US flight with a flight deck crew member with a heart condition...just in case.

If it was me alone, I am finding a pilot to help me out. If there are none, then I am getting the most confident Cabin Crew up there to help out.

Not terrorism, but what about some idiot who took some flight lessons, has a hero complex, and tells the FA that they have "experience flying a boeing/airbus/etc., while leaving out the fact that it was on MS FlightSim?

Sorry, no airline ID, no cockpit entry.

I'd rather have a flight attendant up there with me than someone of unknown origin.

Possible exception: A frac pilot with a verifiable ID, such as NetJets would be of some value, but again, you gotta prove it or no deal.

 

[igneousy2]

Not terrorism, but what about some idiot who took some flight lessons, has a hero complex, and tells the FA that they have "experience flying a boeing/airbus/etc., while leaving out the fact that it was on MS FlightSim?

Sorry, no airline ID, no cockpit entry.

I'd rather have a flight attendant up there with me than someone of unknown origin.

Possible exception: A frac pilot with a verifiable ID, such as NetJets would be of some value, but again, you gotta prove it or no deal.

How is a fractional pilot any more/less useful than a military pilot in this situation.

I don't think i'd bring this guy up. I'm not sure i'd bring this guy up even if he was an OA 121 pilot unless we had previously met (i.e. jumpseater checking in). Not for security, just for the fact that you are taking an unusual situation with 100 moving parts, and doubling-down. The "increase" in safety in having him up in the cockpit does not warrant the risk that many previous posters have already mentioned.

I'd be really interested to hear if the FO would make the same decision again in retrospect.

 

[Dan Roman]

Obviously terrorism isn't the issue. The issue is bringing someone up that would be pretty clueless about the airplane, but more importantly they could have a personality that could cause more problems rather than less. It seems to me that is the issue. On the other hand, the point was made about using all available resources, which is a good one. The bottom line is....it was, and should be the F/O's call. We weren't there.