Continental Airlines Pilot Dies on Flight From Brussels to Newark

Continental Airlines Pilot Dies on Flight From Brussels to Newark

www.foxnews.com

DEVELOPING STORY: The captain of a Continental Airlines flight en route from Brussels, Belgium, to Newark, N.J., died during the trip, FOX News confirmed.

The pilot died Thursday aboard Continental Flight 61, and the co-pilot took over the aircraft's controls, FAA spokesman Les Dorr told FOX.

The plane was scheduled to make an emergency landing at Newark Liberty International Airport at about noon EDT. It left Brussels at 9:45 a.m. local time, CBS News reported.

There are two first officers aboard the flight, one of whom is flying the plane, and a reserve crew, who will be handling t

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[edit on 18/6/09 by CX]

[edit on 18/6/2009 by Mirthful Me]

This is breaking on Fox as we speak. The pilot has died from natural causes apparently.

The weather looks atrocious there now, and they are treating it as an emergency landing scenario. (when they land that is).

Lets hope they land safely, there is a reserve crew so everything should be fine.

CX.

www.foxnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

this annoys me so much because there is an entire second crew on board so there are probably like 4 other pilots that could land this plane but they still make it seem like the plane could crash so they have to cover the landing live on tv. the landing is no different than if he was alive. they should be broadcasting every landing since the weather is bad. not just because this guy died.

Wow.....Fox has just said that one of their news reporters has just pointed out that there could be tv's on the plane.....how much of a freak out would that be if you were watching the news from the very plane they are saying the pilot has died on?

As they are saying now though, this shouldn't be an issue due to the bacl up crew.

They are now debating if it's landed yet or not lol, the weathers that bad they can't see anything. Ah, they've just confirmed it's landed safely.

Fair play to the pilots though, they get a thumbs up from me.

CX.

[edit on 18/6/09 by CX]

That LUCKY son of a gun! Assuming he left his wife and children on good terms that is. Every Pilot's dream to die in the sky!!!

God bless him....

Not many people have died above 30,000 feet........

The idiocy comes when it the news acts as if the other pilot's flew nothing more than bug smashers and had a 3d grade education.

I hate the news....

Even ONE first officer could fly the plane back with NO problem.

reply to post by Yetichi


NO...there is NOT an entire 'other' crew onboard!!

FAA regs require for flights over 8 hours' duration there be an "augmented" crew, for airplanes that only require two, normally.

At Continental (since I used to work there) we call it the "IRO", or 'International Relief Officer'. BECAUSE, flights over 8 hours in length are always International.

KEWR to EBBR (Newark to Brussels) is less than eight hours...so the IRO 'deadheads' over, and works the return. (Because, due to prevailing headwinds, the return is 'blocked' at more than eight hours). "Block" time means from gate-to-gate, and is the definition of "flight time" per FAA rules.

AT Continental...ALL of the pilots, regardless of their senority and 'bid' position, are type-rated in the airplane they fly. A 'type-rating' normally is only required for the Captain. However, Continental's standards are higher.

SO....both the First Officer, and 'IRO', in this case, are fully qualified to fly the airplane safely.

It is extremely tragic, however, that the Captain has died....and, BTW....NO ONE ever dies onboard!!! It is a somewhat morbid statement, but it is a legality issue. ONLY a qualified MD can pronounce "death"....and the jurisdiction has to be stated on the Death Certificate.

SO....when in flight, jurisdiction is not easily established....hence.....

I will be waiting to see the name, of the Captain. I likely know him....