Woman "lands" plane after husband dies midflight

[fly_tornado]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/24/passenger-crash-lands-plane-in-spain-after-pilot-collapses

 

A woman was seriously injured Sunday in an ultralight aircraft crash in Spain after she was forced to fly the plane – despite having no flight experience – when the pilot lost consciousness, officials said.

 

The woman suffered burns and multiple contusions, while the pilot died, though it was unclear if that happened before or after the plane crashed near Seville airport in south-western Spain, an emergency services spokesman said.

 

“He died, possibly before the accident, during the flight,” the spokesman said.

 

Spanish media reported that the man and woman were married.

 

“The woman kept flying, she did not how to fly, so they guided her from the control tower to see if she could control the plane until landing it at the airport,” he added.

 

Emergency services also dispatched a helicopter and a plane to guide the light plane down.

 

 

[eightyknots]

That is quite a sad story. It is nice to hear she survived and I hope she makes a good recovery.

 

 

[Captain]

A few years ago there were lectures being held, but I can't recall whether it was by the AUF or SAAA, at one of their annual fly-ins, where suitably interested wives were given basic instruction on the basics of how to get down in this very event. And from memory it was very well received and attended.

 

 

[Guernsey]

Back in Guernsey many years ago when I learned to fly, several wives learned to fly up to a first solo level without actually doing it .

 

This not only taught them to be able to fly in an emergency, but helped them to take an active interest in their husbands hobby.

 

My wife has supported me fully during my many years of flying including working to help me buy some of my aircraft over the years.

 

Thanks love. Alan.

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

That is quite a sad story. It is nice to hear she survived and I hope she makes a good recovery.

I couldn't agree more. My wife loves flying with me and although she learnt enough to maintain straight and level it isn't likely she would be able to land the plane if anything happened to me in the air.

 

I think that is one good reason for installing a ballistic parachute system. I'd hate to think that a pax died because an ageing pilot had an 'event' during a flight, it would be a terrifying thing for them with a rather inevitably bad final outcome.

 

 

[Guy s]

My wife is coming around to the idea of doing some country trips with me when I get the Savannah built, I mention to her it would be a good idea maybe doing a bit of flying with an instructor to just get the basic's idea of flying in case I become incapacitated. She seem to go along with that and seem to think that would be a good idea.

 

 

[planedriver]

Years ago Schofields Flying Club used to have days for teaching wives and partners the basics in case of pilot incapacity.

 

They possibly still do?

 

 

[Yenn]

Why bother sending your wife to a flying school, in case you have a medical problem. Just give her some tuition yourself in your own plane. Unless of course you are thinking you will have a medical problem in your next flight, or she wants to get a licence / certificate.

 

 

[SDQDI]

Why bother sending your wife to a flying school, in case you have a medical problem. Just give her some tuition yourself in your own plane. Unless of course you are thinking you will have a medical problem in your next flight, or she wants to get a licence / certificate.

That's all well and good (albeit technically illegal unless you are an instructor) but I know how cranky my better half gets when I tell her how to drive, why not send her with a proper instructor (preferably someone who will put in a good word for your abilities:wink:) and let them do it. She will more than likely take it better from them and maybe she will pick up something new that you can learn too:thumb up:

When doing my training I sent both my wife and my dad up for a TIF and I think it will be in the works to eventually get them learning to the extent they can land if I go nigh nighs.

 

 

[Yenn]

Maybe a good idea to get an instructor to do it, but the full training would put most people off. Just stick to emergency landing and radio use.

 

 

[Guy s]

Why bother sending your wife to a flying school, in case you have a medical problem. Just give her some tuition yourself in your own plane. Unless of course you are thinking you will have a medical problem in your next flight, or she wants to get a licence / certificate.

I don't have a Medical problem and and am pretty fit but my wife is pretty head strong when it comes to me telling her how things should be done, I rather someone else have that headache.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Why bother sending your wife to a flying school, in case you have a medical problem. Just give her some tuition yourself in your own plane. Unless of course you are thinking you will have a medical problem in your next flight, or she wants to get a licence / certificate.

Because it's illegal to allow a passenger to manipulate the controls unless you are an instructor (see applicable CAR), and for very good reason; you have not been trained and qualified as an instructor has, to recover the aircraft from any one of the many situations an inexperienced person pulls it into.

 

 

[Yenn]

Lots of things are illegal. I have never broken the law, not so sure about telling lies.

 

 

[octave]

Because it's illegal to allow a passenger to manipulate the controls unless you are an instructor (see applicable CAR), and for very good reason; you have not been trained and qualified as an instructor has, to recover the aircraft from any one of the many situations an inexperienced person pulls it into.

My wife is under strict instructions that if I die during a flight under no circumstances should she manipulate the controls as this would be illegal.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Very droll Octave, a better solution might be to let the butterflies out of your purse and buy her three or four hours of instruction, since she will be PIC on your departure. If necessary, CASA could then chase her up for unlicensed flying after she landed.

 

One of my precautions was to take a treadmill ECG test to put the heart under maximum pressure, but that by no means covers all possibilities, especially on car driver licence health standards.

 

 

[AviationNut]

Luckily Turbs doesn't need to be concerned about any of this since he gave up flying. Isn't that right, Alan?

 

 

[red750]

If I remember correctly, it used to be known as a "pinch hitters course". Pinch hitter is an American baseball term for substitute batter.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Luckily Turbs doesn't need to be concerned about any of this since he gave up flying. Isn't that right, Alan?

Looks like she's managed to get through the cracks again.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Because it's illegal to allow a passenger to manipulate the controls unless you are an instructor (see applicable CAR), and for very good reason; you have not been trained and qualified as an instructor has, to recover the aircraft from any one of the many situations an inexperienced person pulls it into.

It is one of those rules that everybody breaks but nobody ever admits to it.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

A few years ago there were lectures being held, but I can't recall whether it was by the AUF or SAAA, at one of their annual fly-ins, where suitably interested wives were given basic instruction on the basics of how to get down in this very event. And from memory it was very well received and attended.

There was a similar idea in the UK around ten years ago Cap'n., . . .

 

I can't remember what happened to it, but the basic Idea was to give the spouse around six hours of instruction in LANDING the aircraft, including use of the radio to alert the authorities if the Husband / Wife Pilot suffered a subarachnoid haemorrage C/A, or other condition rendering them unable to continue flying. . . . we all thought ( We; being my local Club pilots,. . .)

 

I can't remember if anyone signed up for it, but it was a Microlight Club, and not a G.A. one, and flying a trike from the back seat can be quite difficult,. . . Trikes were in the majority at the club back then, . . now the pendulum has swung most decidedly the other way ( To the Dark Side It has gone. . . )

 

Most of these "Pilot Incapactiation" scenarios do not end well. . . . . though fortunately there are not that many reported. . . ( Are there ? )

 

Last one here was a couple of years ago when a seventy odd year old passenger landed a Cessna ( 172 I think ) at East Midland Intl. Airport at dusk, when his 80+ yr old Pilot mate died at the controls. There was a docco made about it, but reading between the lines,. . . .this bloke had flown with his older friend fairly regularly for more than ten years,. . . . I find it hard to believe that he did not pick up SOME flying knowledge over that period BUT , maybe I'm just a grizzly old bloody cynic. . . . .

 

Phil.

 

 

[RetiredRacer]

My wife has her certificate so that's covered for us, but we took it a little bit further. When I designed the instrument panel I designed it so the aircraft could be flown from either seat.

 

Then before she started training I booked time with the instructor to do some right seat flying and now she has done the same.

 

So now we share the flying and it does not matter which seat we are sitting in we are just as much in control (and as tidy).

 

Bob

 

 

[Soleair]

(I posted the following in another thread, but couldn't help copying it to here as it has some relevance. Apologies to those who have already read it.)

 

I was working at Sandown Airfield in the 80's when an instructor with a student pilot suffered a heart attack and passed out. I was listening on the radio in a firetruck by the runway as the CFI talked the student round circuits and low passes, and eventually to a landing. The landing was very good; the instructor was still unconscious and the pilot very calm.

 

It was his second flight ever! His biggest concern was that his wife would suss what he'd been up to in the resulting publicity, because he'd told her he was playing golf!

 

Bruce

 

 

[eightyknots]

Very droll Octave, a better solution might be to let the butterflies out of your purse and buy her three or four hours of instruction, since she will be PIC on your departure. If necessary, CASA could then chase her up for unlicensed flying after she landed.One of my precautions was to take a treadmill ECG test to put the heart under maximum pressure, but that by no means covers all possibilities, especially on car driver licence health standards.

PIC = Passenger In Cockpit

 

 

[facthunter]

It's a good idea for the passenger to be able to fly. Better a qualified instructor does it but........... anything must be better than nothing. Talking aloud about what you are doing can hardly be illegal. You didn't hear it from me though.

 

You are all talking about a heart attack. Probably food poisoning is more likely. Crew should eat different meals. especially on a longish trip. If you are on your own and feel crook, get on land and have someone meet you. Nev

 

 

[DonRamsay]

Jill Bailey was running an excellent Partners Of Pilots Emergency (PoPE) course from Temora. Jill gave a briefing on the course at Natfly the year my wife went with me and we went along to the briefing together. The whole idea put the wind up my wife who up until then had been pretty comfortable flying with me. She could easily see the merit of the idea but not being even a keen car driver did not at all fancy the idea that she could one day find herself PIC.

 

In my new Sling I have an autopilot that would keep her aloft as long as there was fuel and, with the press of one clearly marked button get her to the nearest airport. From there it is possible to invoke VNAV and get the aeroplane down to a few feet from the runway with just throttle control to manage. Probably survivable from that altitude. The radio also has a one button press to get to 121.500 mHz.

 

So, all I have to do now is work out how to do that myself and demonstrate and write a checklist/procedure and keep it accessible and revise it with my spouse from time to time. (Note to self: adjust up the rudder pedals on her side).