Air hostess helps land Air Canada plane after co-pilot breaks down

[NM]

from news.com.au:

The headline does not include the facts that the flight attendant that assisted does in fact hold a commercial pilots licence. I guess that is a qualification all Captains would like to have in the cabin crew list.

AN air hostess helped land an Air Canada jet carrying 146 passengers after the co-pilot had an apparent mental breakdown over the Atlantic Ocean.

The plane, bound for Heathrow from Toronto, diverted to Shannon in Ireland after the flight officer began a "rambling and disjointed" conversation, according to a report into the incident last January.

 

[Harpoon]

Another link: Air Canada flight attendant helps land plane after co-pilot's mental breakdown

Can you imagine the announcement over the intercom?

Pilot: "Ummm dear passengers, our co-pilot has flipped out... can anyone help me land this baby?"

Pax: "I've player Microsoft light Simulator!!!"

Pilot: "Errrr anyone else?"

Pax: "I landed a 747 in to Kai-Tak in fog.....c'mon it was real time weather simulation!"

Pilot: "Alright you'll do..."

 

[spiggy_topes]

I can think of at least two terrible old movies on this theme (Flight into Danger, Airport 77) - no doubt there are plenty of others.

 

[SeaWolf]

What baffles me is why, in the midst of a global pilot shortage, Air Canada has a woman holding a commercial pilots license serving drinks at the back of the plane! With a little investment in additional training on their part they could have themselves another valuable pilot asset.

 

[Mal]

What baffles me is why, in the midst of a global pilot shortage, Air Canada has a woman holding a commercial pilots license serving drinks at the back of the plane!

Having a skill or set of training doesn't always mean you actually want to use it in a job. Perhaps she is more than content being a FA rather than a pilot.

 

[NM]

Several years ago, a work colleague of mine was installing a new radar system at Heathrow when someone came by and asked him and his mate if they wanted to fly Concorde. Thinking it was a test flight after some maintenance or something similar they jumped at the chance and followed the bloke down the corridor.

As it turns out, they were led into the BA Concorde simulator and placed into the left and right hand seats. The simulated situation was where both pilots were incapacitated and two passengers were asked to land the aircraft by following radioed instructions from the ground. So two complete novices (though quite intelligent with at least one of them holding a PhD in Engineering) were left to bring Concorde back to safety.

He tells me that all the passengers would have walked away - so a good landing. And the aircraft would have been repairable (landed hard and veered off the hard stuff) - so maybe not a great landing.

He still like to talk about the day he "flew Concorde" .

Thankfully that scenario has not played out in real life.

 

[drron]

And there was a time in 1969 when I was asked if i wanted to take the controls flying Solair Auki-Honiara.Lets say the drop was not quite as much as a certain QF Airbus!Never the less the pig travelling in the lap of the fellow behind did manage to escape.