Passenger lands plane in Fla. after pilot dies

[Mike Ash]

Nearly an interesting piece of data on the simmer-landing-an-airliner
question. The pilot of a King Air had a seizure, and the plane was then
landed by one of his passengers:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-04-13-passenger-lands-plane_N.ht
m

However, the punch line is that the passenger was *also* a pilot, albeit
lacking the proper endorsements for a King Air, so the question of a
layman successfully handling things remains unknown. They *did* find a
person familiar with the airplane to help him land it. The controller
called a friend who knew about King Airs and helped talk the guy down.
But I can only assume that the directions being given assumed that the
pilot-passenger would know where to find things, since there would be no
guarantee that the panel would be identical.

An interesting story, anyway. I sure would hate to be the only other
rated pilot on board a King Air whose pilot had just passed out.

--
Mike Ash
Radio Free Earth
Broadcasting from our climate-controlled studios deep inside the Moon

[Ricky]

I just read 4 different reports on this and all mentioned the "King
Air jet" that the single-engine pilot landed.
Then the video I saw showed a biz jet in the distance with emergency
vehicles in the foreground.
I really don't expect much more from the media but when it's something
that hits home for a pilot like me, the stupidity
of it or lack of research/knowledge by the media just seems to be
magnified.

NOW - who among us has ever dreamed of being the only licenced pilot
on board an incapacitated airplane that's much larger
than what we are rated for?
I'll admit to daydreaming about being an board a passenger jet when
the stewardess comes onto the p.a. with something like
"Are there any pilots on board this aircraft?" I then dream about
taking the controls with all pilots incapacitated somehow and
making the most beautiful of landings with a little help from ATC. Of
course, the pilot(s)
end up being fine, too.

Ricky



On Apr 13, 10:22*am, Mike Ash > wrote:
> Nearly an interesting piece of data on the simmer-landing-an-airliner
> question. The pilot of a King Air had a seizure, and the plane was then
> landed by one of his passengers:
>
> http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-04-13-passenger-lands-plane_...
> m
>
> However, the punch line is that the passenger was *also* a pilot, albeit
> lacking the proper endorsements for a King Air, so the question of a
> layman successfully handling things remains unknown. They *did* find a
> person familiar with the airplane to help him land it. The controller
> called a friend who knew about King Airs and helped talk the guy down.
> But I can only assume that the directions being given assumed that the
> pilot-passenger would know where to find things, since there would be no
> guarantee that the panel would be identical.
>
> An interesting story, anyway. I sure would hate to be the only other
> rated pilot on board a King Air whose pilot had just passed out.
>
> --
> Mike Ash
> Radio Free Earth
> Broadcasting from our climate-controlled studios deep inside the Moon

[Will]

On Apr 13, 1:22*pm, Mike Ash > wrote:
>
> However, the punch line is that the passenger was *also* a pilot, albeit
> lacking the proper endorsements for a King Air, so the question of a
> layman successfully handling things remains unknown.

Oh ****, just wait for you-know-who to chime in on this one... "But if
he had KA sim time..."

> But I can only assume that the directions being given assumed that the
> pilot-passenger would know where to find things, since there would be no
> guarantee that the panel would be identical.

Yes the panels of King Airs and 172s are VERY different. And that's
the truth that our friend in France will never accept.

[Peter Dohm]

"Dana M. Hague" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:22:31 -0400, Mike Ash > wrote:
>
>>Nearly an interesting piece of data on the simmer-landing-an-airliner
>>question. The pilot of a King Air had a seizure, and the plane was then
>>landed by one of his passengers...
>
> Back in the mid 1970's, after all the airplane disaster movies, Air
> Progress magzine did a piece on this... they stuck a low time private
> pilot in a 727 simulator set up in cruise between NY and Chicago, with
> a 727 pilot ready to talk him down. He got it "down" fine.
>
> -Dana
> --
> In America, anyone can become president. That's one of the risks you take.

Well, the truth is that a normal landing in reasonably calm weather with a
properly functioning aircraft should always be pretty easy--you just have to
know a few of the numbers. Presumably that is the basic concept behind the
AOPA "Pinch Hitter" program. In the extraordinary case such as this,
someone can frequently obtain the needed information be radio or telephone.

OTOH, a lot of pilot training involves the procedures to safely land the
aircraft when the the weather is a little less cooperative, the runway is
the minimum reqauired length, or there is something wrong with the aircraft.

Don't get me wrong, It's always good when things work out; but there's a
tendency toward overstatement in the media and also on usenet.

Peter

BTW, your sig line is terrifying and also well proven!