Passenger lands plane.

[planedriver]

A passenger landed plane succesfully after the pilot became incapitated and later died.

 

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/2013/10/10/05/12/pilot-who-collapsed-mid-flight-dies.

 

A good outcome for the passenger, but sadly not for the pilot.

 

RIP

 

 

[fly_tornado]

a bit of luck

 

 

[turboplanner]

Anyone ever dreamed of doing this and then sat in the pilot's seat of the 747 at Longreach?

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I had thoughts of Dr. Strangelove when I was taking this picture. B52: old school complexity

 

 

 

[dazza 38]

Anyone ever dreamed of doing this and then sat in the pilot's seat of the 747 at Longreach?

What dying ?

 

 

[facthunter]

Good effort by the ground people. 4 tries would have made it stressful. Nev

 

 

[rankamateur]

Must not let the passenger hold the stick until after you have died though!

 

 

[turboplanner]

What dying ?

No, judging the round out and having any idea where the mains were. The cockpit is a lot further off the ground at reast than I ever imagined.

 

 

[dutchroll]

Anyone ever dreamed of doing this and then sat in the pilot's seat of the 747 at Longreach?

Lol. Yeah it can be hard enough training someone with 2000 hours experience to fly and land a B747! However if you could talk them through loading an approach into the FMC (which isn't actually all that hard) and which buttons to press and knobs to turn on the MCP (mode control panel), you could have a good chance of talking them through to an autoland.

I was at dinner once with people asking me questions when a guy who had never flown a plane in his life said he could hand fly and land a real B737 in an emergency because he's done it on MS Flight Sim. It was one of those times where you just smile and nod politely, so as not to offend the dinner guests.

 

Notwithstanding that, superb job by the instructor on the ground.

 

 

[Mark11]

It just shows, if you don't panic you've got a much better chance

 

 

[facthunter]

Turbo, The cockpit is a lot higher than at rest because of the attitude of the fuselage (Pitch). It can be over 6 degrees, and the mainwheels are a long way behind where you sit. It's like about the fourth floor on a building plus. Nev

 

 

[turboplanner]

Yes that was my point; even when the aircraft is sitting on the gear, I think it's about 64 feet to the ground from the cockpit. Knowing where the gear might be would be a big guess for someone who'd only ever flown light aircraft

 

 

[facthunter]

Unless they were worded up to set it up as a low pass, they would drive it into the ground. Unless it was a bit fast and it would flare itself, maybe. Nev

 

 

[turboplanner]

Or maybe as Dutch Roll said

 

 

[facthunter]

The autoland would probably be the safest. They are NOT hard to fly but just a lot different till you get the inertia bit. Smaller jets are harder, and some ultralights require much more inputting. Nev

 

 

[dutchroll]

B747: Pilot eye height to wheel height = 43ft during approach. Flare initiation about 50ft radalt (automated radio altitude callouts assist - start flaring when it says "FIFTY").

 

A330: Pilot eye height to wheel height = 34ft during approach. Flare initiation about 40ft radalt (automated radio altitude callouts assist - when it says "FIFTY" count one banana then start flaring).

 

 

But far easier to talk someone through an autoland!

 

 

[turboplanner]

I know a couple of Jetstar pilots who apparently count One banana, two banana, three banana, ooops!