Passenger lands plane after pilot falls ill

A passenger has landed an aeroplane at Humberside Airport after the pilot fell ill at the controls.

Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to the airport after the pilot collapsed and a distress call was made from the aircraft.

Two flying instructors were called in to advise the passenger how to bring the plane down

BBC News

Wow, I hope this guy packed some extra underpants after this happening.

reply to post by OtherSideOfTheCoin

Can you imagine the gut wrenching nerves this would cause the passenger pilot? Having to follow directions that probably appear foreign, figure out the instruments, maintain control, and then land successfully, wow, unless he is one of those that can remain calm in daunting situations. Glad it ends well, and kudos to the gentleman.

reply to post by OtherSideOfTheCoin


I saw an episode of Mythbusters where they tried to land a plane using over the phone instructions from the control tower. It was cool.

Anyway, in that episode it was revealed that this had never actually happened before. Maybe not completely applicable to this thread, but I thought I would share.

Cool find, thanks for the thread.

reply to post by OtherSideOfTheCoin

Good Grief OS! Flag and Star!
The poor fella did three go arounds and had no panel lights to boot! OMG that's scary..no panel and green too; he deserves at least a small Air Medal.

This is always good news, and I'm positive no amount of diapers could keep the eyes dry at tower after he set the brakes.

reply to post by OtherSideOfTheCoin


A a UH60 crewchief an emergency contingency plan would be for me to hop up front and fly the aircraft to a safe location, land, and shut the engines down. While we don't have much flight training many of the crew chiefs have a working understanding of how the aircraft is flown as well as how the controls behave when inputs are engaged.

I would have hated to be this guy. Having some know how, and having NO idea what you are doing while being coached from the ground by a flight instructor must have been insane.

Kudos to him though. He pulled through and did a wonderful job. He should be commended and hailed as a hero.

Sadly the pilot died shortly after landing.

reply to post by Zaphod58

Well that is a sad note indeed, blessings to his family and friends.

Ok so regarding the topic ... Let's change the light aircraft to say .. A Boeing 737 (small compared to an a380 but still a large aircraft). If for whatever reason the pilot and co-pilot are out cold, if someone with very little knowledge I'll use myself as an example I know basic controls of an aircraft (up down left right and the rudder pedals) I know how to operate the thrust controls or have a slight idea, I could recognise the odd few instruments on a flight panel and other minor details ...

If I was at the controls and the tower was talking to me how easy or not so easy would it be?

I would assume in an emergency like this the tower would tell me the very basic of what to do just to get the plane on the ground and stopped .. Never mind parking up at a terminal. So sorry if you end up on a plane that I'm controlling you won't be getting to your gate you are going to have a long walk across the Tarmac

reply to post by ThePeaceMaker


Any plane controlled by someone without flying experience is going to be difficult. Most people that have never flown have both a hard time understanding what the guy on the other end of the radio is telling them to do, and communicating to him what's happening with the plane. And the guy on the ground has a harder task because he's having to try to figure out what a person who is in a panic, is telling him the plane is doing so he can figure out how to react, quickly.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Oh of course I wasn't saying it would be easy and can fully understand it will be difficult. Hmm i think I'd have a few problems with the radio I could grasp if someone told me to head on a certain compass bearing (having a boat and using a compass while diving helps out) .. I kind of understand directions to descend to certain heights .. The only thing that would get me is call signs.

Either way I hope I'll never end up in a situation like that anyway, I would like to try a proper flight sim though and having someone talk to me as if I'm doing it for real

reply to post by ThePeaceMaker


Oh callsigns go right out. They'll take you to a discrete frequency if it's busy airspace where it's just you and whoever is talking you down. That way the rest of the flights can still get their instructions and all. The radio is easy though. My biggest problem was remembering which was intercom and which was radio (toggle switch on the back side of the yoke, up was on, down was the other, I still can't remember which is which).

reply to post by Zaphod58


Ha can I ask ? Were you a pilot ? Air Force or commercial ? I could imagine a few mess ups with the intercom switch

reply to post by ThePeaceMaker


I was a ramp rat around the Air Force. Usually it didn't matter because it was only set to intercom on my side, and both on the other. Just made it easier that way.

reply to post by Zaphod58

Ramp rat? So you were directing aircraft on the Tarmac ? Or was your job similar to what the RAF call 'loadies' persons who load the aircraft deal with cargo etc

Sorry just being nosey

reply to post by Zaphod58

Ramp rat? So you were directing aircraft on the Tarmac ? Or was your job similar to what the RAF call 'loadies' persons who load the aircraft deal with cargo etc

Sorry just being nosey

reply to post by ThePeaceMaker


I'd marshall them in, call for fuel, order parts if necessary, sometimes help change the parts, all the stuff they needed while they were there.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Sounds interesting I'm at a point in my life where I need to make a decision as to what to do in life. I've considered ground crew for the RAF or a 'loadie'

Thanks for the reply I hope I didn't intrude to much with my questions.

reply to post by ThePeaceMaker


Nah, if I think you are I'll tell you, and won't answer. It doesn't bother me.

reply to post by Zaphod58


That's good enough for me

On topic: didn't realise the pilot passed away my respects go to his family RIP buddy hope your flying high peacefully about the clouds now

reply to post by ThePeaceMaker


The article I saw didn't say what happened, it just mentioned that he passed a few hours after the plane landed.