‘Hero’ passenger lands Boeing 747 at Dublin airport
A German passenger is being hailed a hero for helping land a Lufthansa Boeing 747 after the plane's first officer fell ill.
The passenger, an off-duty pilot, approached the cabin crew after they announced the flight was being diverted. Upon learning the first officer was incapacitated with a severe migraine, he offered to help land the plane.
"It was a miracle," a source involved in the operation told Independent.ie. "It had all the elements of a Hollywood movie but thankfully one with a happy ending."
Another source shared similar sentiments with the Herald:
"It was a miracle to have a man with his background on board. He helped the pilot land the plane in an extremely professional manner. Without him, we could have had a crisis on our hands."
A Lufthansa spokeswoman said the man, who helped land the plane safely in Dublin, was fully licensed to operate and fly the 747.
"In such circumstances it's absolutely normal procedure for the pilot, the flight captain, to continue to operate the aircraft," the spokeswoman said. "Also, where necessary, the cabin crew are fully trained and can be called upon to read checklists back to the pilot. The procedures are in place for such an eventuality."
WOW
FO get a headache and a fully qualified 747 pilot helps the Captain with some switches and checklists. News reporting at it's best.
Wonder how they made the PA announcement to say the FO was incapacitated... Ladies and gentleman, we are sorry to inform you that we will be diverting to Dublin because our FO has a headache, if anyone is qualified in the 747, please contact a FA
I keep refreshing CNN.com but I get nothing. I wonder if Obama will make him an honorary citizen?
Ahramin, I can picture what you just wrote . The jet blue incident last year wasn't far off from what I recall. I believe the Captain ventured into the back after his self administered exorcism, (FO then locked him out). He then began cursing at the pax ... bringing up bombs this bombs that, followed by a command to "start praying" because they are pretty much done for. Not sure how impressed the folks in business class were.
I was wondering about that Beef. It's very clear in the Regs that the Captain has no right to decide who can enter the cockpit because you never know who's going to pull out a viciously sharp slice of mango and stab you with it.
I think it's simply the case that the security numpties haven't clued into this practice yet, probably because it's so rare. If it gets more common I'm sure someone will start making noise about it.
Must be a very slow news day to publish this story.
Now if that had been a 90 year old Grandmother who last flew C-47s for Ferry Command back in WW2, who came forward and landed the airplane on a contaminated runway with a 40 knot crosswind, in marginal visibility using only landmarks and her turn and back coordinator for guidance, well then we would have a good story!!!
Think a couple of years ago there was a similar story out of AC about an FA helping out in the flight deck after the FO got sick.
The "must have eaten the fish" comment possibly comes from an excellent (for its time) CBC drama called "Flight Into Danger" or something like that writte by Arthur Hayley. It was a fictional airline flying a Viscount to Vancouver whereby the pilot and co-pilot both ate the fish and sucummed to food poisoning. An ex RCAF Spitfire pilot was a passenger and he ate the beef so he had to land the airplane. It was actually a well done drama.
I wonder if that was the start of the requirement that the crew not eat the same meal or eat at different times. Not a regulation, just a suggestion.
Staying with the "Airplane" movie theme.....when the FA is so called trained to read checklists to the captain does that include manually "working" the autopilot..........
"I wonder if that was the start of the requirement that the crew not eat the same meal or eat at different times. Not a regulation, just a suggestion."
I don't know how it's regulated, but I know this is done in at least some airlines (if not countries, if it's a regulation), I think I saw it on a documentary about British Airways 747's so at least they do it. And Captain has first dibs of course
And this is the kind of thing, right here, that makes me take Media with a grain of salt.
A type rated pilot, on board happened to land an aircraft. That's not really an event, now is it. I realize the airplane needs two pilots and that's fine, but to go on a limb and call the extra pilot just a passenger? Why that could be anyone, and is far enough off from the truth for me to read such a thing (out of pure curiosity.)
I guess the truth is too boring. Or something to that effect.
That guy must be getting training bond offers from all over the world.
