How to Land a 737 (just in case)

OK. You're on a flight to visit Grandma Betty and you find out the pilot and copilot have passed out from too many margaritas. Or maybe they got in an argument and knocked each other senseless. Whatever. The plane is cruising along with no one at the controls.

Well, sh#.

You rip open your shirt to display the Superman logo underneath and jump into this pilot's seat. Unfortunately, you have no idea what to do.

Watch this video and the next time you're in a runaway jetliner you can, hopefully, avoid death by fireball.

This is neat- I like it.

Makes me wonder though, the computer is doing essentially all the work. It wouldn't be hard to invoke some sort of digital-over-analog remote control through the existing radio system and send the altitude, course, and speed adjustments that way.

The 737 800 series is usually CAT two or three (tested certified with a sticker block and everything)) which means if there is an ILS at the airport the aircraft will land itself if FMS/auto-pilot is configured correctly. I doubt our hero would have been nearly as successful on the landing phase of this video in actuality.

a reply to: lordcomac


I thought about that, too. With technology being developed for self driving cars and auto landing drones, I wonder if it would be possible to set up an emergency landing system.

a reply to: 727Sky



Thank you for that input. I'm not sure what the jargon means, but I'm glad there's someone here that can give us some insight.

I'd be first to step up if ever I was a passenger in such situations. Sounds like fun

a reply to: Ghost147

If you're dressed like your avatar, you might have little trouble getting to the cockpit.

Has this scenario happened in real life? with a modern jetliner ?
watched video, looks simple but not realistic enough
let's see what Zaphod thinks about it...

originally posted by: Ghost147
I'd be first to step up if ever I was a passenger in such situations. Sounds like fun

I have taken private pilots and placed them in the seat of a simulator and let them try to hand fly and land a 737 or 727... These are people who in some cases have a couple of hundred hours flight time in various small aircraft. A very low percentage would have been able to walk away from the scene of the accident. To take 150,000 pounds of cold rolled aluminum, fuel, and passengers and put it down on 150' wide slab of concrete like a cat pissing on a piece of velvet is not something that comes naturally without a little experience and know how.. How many have ridden through a bad landing by a certified crew with hundreds if not thousands of landings under their belts ?

Our hero could save the day ??? Yes it could happen..... but odds are not in most people's favor if the aircraft is hand flown to a landing by someone who has no training or experience in the aircraft... Auto lands are not really that great either but are better than teeth hair and eye balls splattered all over the runway... IMO.

a reply to: Ghost147

If the odds are you're going to die anyway, by fireball... You might as well go down trying.

a reply to: manuelram16

This video would be the best case scenario and probably wouldn't go so smoothly unless the passenger has some previous flight experience.

originally posted by: manuelram16
Has this scenario happened in real life? with a modern jetliner ?
watched video, looks simple but not realistic enough
let's see what Zaphod thinks about it...

737 did loose oxygen at altitude in 2006 (Helios Airways Flight 522) causing all to pass out except a male cabin attendant that made it to the pilots seat but the plane crashed into a mountain killing all aboard.

a reply to: glend
Interesting, thanks!
Looks like 727Sky nailed it.

originally posted by: Ghost147
I'd be first to step up if ever I was a passenger in such situations. Sounds like fun

And I'd be the one screaming, "We're all gonna die!"

How many of those flights actually have people on them that even know how to fly a plane and...who could remember everything in that video? I'll stay grounded thank you very much! LOL

a reply to: lordcomac

Can't happen. The radio doesn't tie into the flight management system. There is no way, short of a specialized computer system being plugged into the aircraft, in areas passengers can't get to in flight for the computers to be taken over. And if they were, a couple of circuit breakers being pulled solves the problem.

a reply to: N3k9Ni

Not as complicated as i thought...

Good informative post!

I think I'd just raid the mini bar. Then when the aircraft ran out of fuel and fell out of the sky I pretty much wouldn't notice or care. And by the time it hit the ground, I wouldn't be "feeling any pain" as the saying goes.

However, if someone else wanted to try to land that big beast, I say more power to them. Just let me get a few under my belt first. Just in case they're unsuccessful.

-dex

a reply to: N3k9Ni


If I found out I was on a plane people spend more money than I'm willing to learning to fly was about to crash because those idiots who spent more than i'm willing to to learn to fly are some how disabled......

I'd probably find the nearest woman, and propose intercourse.... if that failed, I'd literally ask the woman next to her, and so on until I succeeded or ran out of women.....


Seriously, learning to fly a commercial jet sits some where around extracting DNA from dog # even if I won the superball.

set-up the approach and watch the speed....rudder your way sideways and when the return to earth is right there, the aircraft will re-act to large control stick movements like if in a crosswind....no biggy....just get jiggy with the stick to keep wings level and presto..easy on brakes...good God man hold a line even you go into the grass you're a hero

V ref.......ask em on the radio or find it on a checklist....the speed to be at over the threshold that about does it

10 1/2 minutes??!! Forget it. Can anyone summarize this?

Only kidding.