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Passenger with “no idea how to fly” lands plane after pilot incapacitated

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Re: Passenger with “no idea how to fly” lands plane after pilot incapacitated

#481

Post by KennyBlanken »

moffkalast wrote: post #349
KennyBlanken wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The autopilot declares an emergency via transponder code and radio calls, which means suddenly everything else in the sky is moved out of your way for you and you're given near-exclusive use of whatever airport the autopilot picks. This does not bring us closer to "flying cars."

You mean like when cars turn on emergency blinkers any everything moves out of your way?

A pilot declaring an in-flight emergency gets near authority over the airspace they are in. After confirming the declaration fuel/passenger count, the next question a controller usually asks is "what are your intentions?", ie "what are you going do, so we can get everyone out of your way?"

I've never heard a controller get more authoritative than politely ask the pilot if they'll consider something or are able to do something.

Re: Passenger with “no idea how to fly” lands plane after pilot incapacitated

#482

Post by efitz »

mlyle wrote: post #423
buildsjets wrote: post #418

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A good memory jogger for the emergency transponder codes is: Hi Jack, I can’t talk right now, I’ve got an emergency. 7500 -> Being Hijacked 7600 -> Radio/Comms Failure 7700 -> Emergency

I think 1202 is not intended to be a transponder code, but an approximation of 121.5.

Yes, I meant 121.5 but my memory is fuzzy after many years.

Re: Passenger with “no idea how to fly” lands plane after pilot incapacitated

#483

Post by pilot7378535 »

Johnny555 wrote: post #388
pilot7378535 wrote: post #305

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Flying cars" made sense to me until I started flying. Now I think "driving airplanes" is the more appropriate phrase for what might be in the realm of possibility. For example: here's how you'd prepare to visit distant relatives with each vehicle: Car: load up however much weight you want, turn the keys and start driving. Low on gas? Just turn off at the next exit. Weather looks bad? Just drive slowly and carefully…

Couldn't most of that be done by computer? Weight sensors in the wheels can determine weight and balance, the computer can evaluate the weather and plot the course taking into account all of the factors you noted, including refueling stops and emergency airfields, and it can even run through the checklist for you. About the only part of that it can't do is the visual inspection.

Sure, if you trust the correctness of the computer's software with your life and the lives of any passengers. There are popular apps now that do some of what you suggest, especially trip planning.

I've seen enough bugs in my day job to want to at least verify the computer's work and have backup instruments, even if just my own senses. Aerospace software is known for relatively low bug counts[1] but also causing fatal crashes[2].

I trust my car controls to be correct and if they aren't I can brake to a stop if anything else seems off. (Unless of course the brakes stop working!) But since you have to take off to fly, you might not realize you can't control the plane until it's already at dangerous speeds.[3]

1: https://www.bugsplat.com/blog/less-serious/why-nasa-code-doe...

2: See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_software_bugs sections on Space, Military, and Transportation for examples.

3: Amazing story about an airliner that took off not knowing its controls had been reversed (a maintenance mistake). Pilots declared "MAYDAY plane is completely uncontrollable we plan to ditch" but eventually figured out how to fly the reversed controls and landed it safely—super impressive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIc8Rr-cKd8

Re: Passenger with “no idea how to fly” lands plane after pilot incapacitated

#484

Post by pilot7378535 »

helloworld11 wrote: post #68
jmkni wrote: post #53

Stupid question, but could this guy end up in some sort of legal trouble? He's obviously a hero and saved the lives of everyone on board, but it's still illegal to fly a plane while unqualified, right?

This is why prosecutorial discretion exists. Yes, he could, but mitigating circunstancies can and often are considered, and local prosecutors or responsible regulators (the FAA in this case) simply decide not to file charges. Police often do the same in smaller cases. Example; if someone breaks a car or house window to save an occupant that's trapped from a fire. That's vandalism, but rarely prosecuted if it happens…

Car/house insurance might have a different opinion. :)

Re: Passenger with “no idea how to fly” lands plane after pilot incapacitated

#485

Post by aksss »

wolverine876 wrote: post #394
aksss wrote: post #280

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With woke pronouns, I feel like an 87 yo man around tiktok - don't care, not going to learn it, not enough time left on Earth to give a crap, happy to glide towards the grave without giving it a second thought. Y'all do you.

Then why post about it?

again, 87 yo around tiktok - voicing my unbidden opinion is part of the package.

Re: Passenger with “no idea how to fly” lands plane after pilot incapacitated

#486

Post by travisgriggs »

jccooper wrote: post #439
eru wrote: post #435

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you mean flair in a technical sense, or just in the sense of 'looking good'?

Probably "flare" in the sense of "pulling up for landing".

Yes I did mean flare. Though I always try to flare with flair. :)

Re: Passenger with “no idea how to fly” lands plane after pilot incapacitated

#487

Post by zzo38computer »

cecilpl2 wrote: post #144
imwillofficial wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is it different than using “their”?

Some people feel like "their" is plural and therefore invented a singular gender-neutral pronoun.

"Their" is grammatically plural, even though what it refers to may be singular, plural, or neither (or, in some cases, may be unknown). "You" is also grammatically plural, even though what it refers to may be singular, plural, or neither. (Singular they seems to be from the 14th century, so it isn't really new.)

Re: Passenger with “no idea how to fly” lands plane after pilot incapacitated

#488

Post by shostack »

hgomersall wrote: post #241
whimsicalism wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Listening to the audio of the conversation, it doesn't seem like the passenger has no flying experience... At minimum they must have spent significant time around aviation or be ex-military. e: From another comment on Reddit > Examples: > The passenger knew what button to press on the yoke to transmit to ATC. > The passenger knew aviation phraseology and phonetics “333 Lima Delta”. > The passenger knew where the alti…

Genuine question, is my experience playing Microsoft flight simulator any use in being able to answer those questions, because it certainly feels like I can say something sensible about them.

I've got plenty of hours in MSFS in VR, most of it in GA aircraft in the Bay Area where I live. When I went on my discovery flight I felt immediately comfortable in the DA40 and with it's g1000. I knew where everything was in the cockpit. I mostly knew how to start it and the checklist was familiar. I could easily find my house and in general was familiar with landmarks.

My aviation skills were also interesting. I had no problem with coordinated turns and holding a heading. However I almost busted the bravo because my altitude kept creeping and I was so used to using the electric trim tab on my joystick. However in the real plane there are two and you need to hold both. Plus, I should have just used the wheel which I don't have on my HOTAS. My second flight in a 172 was much better in that regard.

The sim doesn't prepare you for the physical sensations. Not just the movement, but the massively improved FOV, contrast, resolution, and frame rate. It was pure sensory overload. I did all the approaches and it just felt comfortable.

My HOTAS is both a blessing and a curse. It's great for VR, but my muscle memory was all messed up. And the input sensitivity and weight is very different IRL. And despite knowing I'd likely be fixated by the instruments, and should be looking outside, I did it anyway.

Hope this was helpful. Can't recommend simming enough. It's what made me want to do a discovery flight in the first place. It was magical.

Re: Passenger with “no idea how to fly” lands plane after pilot incapacitated

#489

Post by santix »

buildsjets wrote: post #418
efitz wrote: post #279

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have 30 minutes and 2 touch-and-go’s in my log book. I suck at Microsoft Flight Simulator. In 30 minutes of the instructor sitting next to me, I successfully landed and took off in a Cessna 172, learned to trim power, elevators and flaps, learned how to transmit and how to “squawk ident”, and what channel to use in emergencies (1202 IIRC). Operating the airplane was very straightforward. Without the instructor or s…

A good memory jogger for the emergency transponder codes is: Hi Jack, I can’t talk right now, I’ve got an emergency. 7500 -> Being Hijacked 7600 -> Radio/Comms Failure 7700 -> Emergency

There's also "7-7: we're going to heaven; 7-5: somebody else wants to fly; 7-6: radio needs a fix".
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