Private Pilot realizes rescue fantasy on commercial jet

mikea

mikea

Touchdown! Greaser!
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ST. AUGSTINE, FL --
Addison said the steward asked if anyone on board was a doctor. He didn't think much of that.

Then he says he saw two people pull the unconscious pilot from the cockpit and perform CPR on him.

"I was trying to calm myself, tell myself that I'd be alright. Then I got anxious. I started thinking about my wife and my child. Even more, I was thinking about the pilot and his family," Addison said.

Addison then heard another announcement. This time the flight steward was asking if anyone knew how to fly a plane.

It turned out, the man seated next to Addison was a pilot.

"So I leaned over and I said, 'can you handle this?' He said, 'I have a small plane. I'm going to go up there.'"

That man helped the co-pilot make an emergency landing. Addison said it was a hard landing, but it was a safe one.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?ref=rss&storyid=74518
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He had the co-pilot to act as Captain. I wonder if he really helped. I guess he could have read the checklists and such.

Why would it be a hard landing?
 
run radios, drop gear/flaps, do the b***h work that the copilot usually does.

if your captain had died and you had a private pilot doing your b***h work, would you be able to grease one on? id be happy to be on terra firma.
 
He was prob helped in the eyes and ears and check list reading. But the real question is did he get to log anything?
 
Man - I'd hate to wish a pilot die on a flight, but if one is going to die anyways, please let it happen on a flight I'm going to be on.

And let me be sitting ahead of all the other pilots that I know will be there too, itching to take my spot.
 
Wow...too bad for the pilot, OF COURSE, but still...what a story.

I'm a paramedic, federal officer and pilot, and fly commercial frequently. I figure one of these days they're going to call my number :P
 
Exceprt of an excerpt. The ABQ Journal is subscription only:

From: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1773510/posts
Albuquerque Pilot Aided in Medical Emergency (TX-Continental Pilot Dies in Flight)
Albuquerque businessman Stephen W. Brown doesn't consider himself a hero.

But when a medical emergency struck down the captain of a nearly full Continental Airlines jet flying to Mexico, Brown climbed out of his passenger seat and into the cockpit.

The 47-year-old licensed private pilot, who usually flies a single-engine Cessna, helped land the Boeing 757-300 loaded with 209 other passengers at McAllen-Miller International Airport in McAllen, Texas, on Saturday.

The plane had taken off from Houston on a flight to Puerto Vallarta when the co-pilot called for help. Brown responded.

"Yes, it was a rush," Brown told the Journal in an e-mail Wednesday from Puerto Vallarta, where he was still on a business vacation. "A combination of sheer excitement and shock kept my heart racing from beginning to end.

"I suppose most private pilots daydream about this sort of scenario where assistance is needed on the flight deck," he said. "The sad part, of course, is how I ended up on the flight deck." The captain later died.

While a few flight attendants and passengers tended to the stricken pilot, the co-pilot took over as captain of the plane. He then asked over the intercom whether there were any pilots on board.

"There's nothing wrong with that," said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Roland Herwig, who confirmed Brown's role in the emergency landing. "The (acting) captain can take any action for the sake of safety."

~~ snip ~~

The co-pilot-turned-captain told Brown that he had 28 years of experience.

"At that moment, I was undoubtedly the least nervous person on the plane," Brown said. "I knew, while technically it was deemed an 'emergency situation,' the captain would land the aircraft without incident."

Brown's role was to perform some standard radio work, co-review checklists and lower flaps and landing gear as instructed.

(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...
http://www.abqjournal.com/news/metro/532547metro01-25-07.htm
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At least no one stepped up and said: "I know how to fly Microsoft Flight Sim, let me at it!"
 
tonycondon said:
run radios, drop gear/flaps, do the b***h work that the copilot usually does.

if your captain had died and you had a private pilot doing your b***h work, would you be able to grease one on? id be happy to be on terra firma.
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Change "copilot" to pilot-not-flying and I would be happy. I also kind of don't like "b***h work" either. -EDIT- Actually, I call it rather offensive.

Call me sensitive. :yes:
 
Hmm - if I'm not mistaken, I believe Steven Brown, of Albuquerque, is a PoAer. Anyone confirm that one?

If not, I think I've met him somewhere. Maybe Studentpilot.com?
 
mikea said:
Why would it be a hard landing?
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Because the co-pilot come captain was under a bit of stress? How good a landing would you expect to make in your own plane if someone in the plane had just died in the air? That's gotta be up there pretty high on the list of serious distractions.
 
I keep waiting for the day when I can use the "I've flown a full-motion 747-400 simulator" line to get permission to save the day. :)

As much 'technology' and 'automation' as there is in the cockpit of those things, I can't imagine having to actually do a landing without someone else helping switch switches and lever levers on the way down.
 
ugh, sorry Greg.

*feel like crap now*

Greg Bockelman said:
Change "copilot" to pilot-not-flying and I would be happy. I also kind of don't like "b***h work" either. -EDIT- Actually, I call it rather offensive.

Call me sensitive. :yes:
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tonycondon said:
ugh, sorry Greg.

*feel like crap now*
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Don't worry about it Tony. I know what you meant. :D

It is just that the airplanes are two pilot airplanes for a reason and the non flying pilot duties are more than gear and flaps. :yes:
 
Greg Bockelman said:
It is just that the airplanes are two pilot airplanes for a reason and the non flying pilot duties are more than gear and flaps. :yes:
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That's right. Someone needs to stand at the cabin door and take the blame for the landing.

(Kidding Greg! Just kidding!!) :rofl:
 
In my mind, "Hard Landing" means something was broken on the airplane; else, it was a "Firm Landing."

Capeche?
 
Im kinda amazed he did that (polled the cabin for help).
I would have thought it a lot easier to just handle it, rather than have to fly and teach.
Now if someone was deadheading that would be a lot different.
 
Greg Bockelman said:
Change "copilot" to pilot-not-flying and I would be happy. I also kind of don't like "b***h work" either. -EDIT- Actually, I call it rather offensive.

Call me sensitive. :yes:
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How about changing it to FO, and supplementary duties?;)
 
HPNFlyGirl said:
I wouldn't think they would let a non airline person in the cockpit, I mean...after 9/11 and all.
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In a two pilot airplane I'd think even a non-pilot could be helpful but with a pilot, even a low time private pilot the FO wouldn't be starting from scratch explaining what flaps are or how to tune or talk on a radio etc.

It's possible the FO was thinking more along the lines of a fellow airline pilot, but if I were him I'd take what I could get in that situation.

With the frequency of this (flight crew incapacitation while airborne) as high as suggested by some in this thread, I do wonder why the airlines don't train senior FAs in basic cockpit assistance. You wouldn't think it would require much initial and recurring training to be able to offload the single pilot nicely without having to rely on a passenger for that.
 
gibbons said:
That's right. Someone needs to stand at the cabin door and take the blame for the landing.

(Kidding Greg! Just kidding!!) :rofl:
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I was on a flight one time where, after a really bad landing one night (3 bounces in a 757), the pilot refused to even open the door to greet -er - take complaints from the passengers. :rolleyes:
 
wsuffa said:
I was on a flight one time where, after a really bad landing one night (3 bounces in a 757), the pilot refused to even open the door to greet -er - take complaints from the passengers. :rolleyes:
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Did it happen to be at Honolulu? Haven't looked at the runway stats there, but it must be a short runway. Both times we landed there it seemed like it was a carrier landing with how they slammed it down.
 
CJones said:
Did it happen to be at Honolulu? Haven't looked at the runway stats there, but it must be a short runway. Both times we landed there it seemed like it was a carrier landing with how they slammed it down.
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CVG.

Although the B-717 I was on yesterday did a bouncer at MCI.....
 
wsuffa said:
I was on a flight one time where, after a really bad landing one night (3 bounces in a 757), the pilot refused to even open the door to greet -er - take complaints from the passengers. :rolleyes:
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I was on a SW flight into El Paso one night, after a double bouncer the FO got on the intercom and apologized for the landing saying a huge rabbit had run across the runway. When we were getting off the plane at the gate, the FO was standing up front greeting passengers after they left. I just grinned at him and said "big rabbit huh" , he said "you should have seen the size of that thing". I just smiled and told him to look on the bright side, only one more starts the 90 day night currency clock again. :D He just laughed.
 
Don Jones said:
I was on a SW flight into El Paso one night, after a double bouncer the FO got on the intercom and apologized for the landing saying a huge rabbit had run across the runway. When we were getting off the plane at the gate, the FO was standing up front greeting passengers after they left. I just grinned at him and said "big rabbit huh" , he said "you should have seen the size of that thing". I just smiled and told him to look on the bright side, only one more starts the 90 day night currency clock again. :D He just laughed.
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Now that's funny right there! :yes:
 
wsuffa said:
I was on a flight one time where, after a really bad landing one night (3 bounces in a 757), the pilot refused to even open the door to greet -er - take complaints from the passengers. :rolleyes:
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I've heard that Mari's landings in the Hawker are kinda like that :rofl:

Kidding Mari! :D
 
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