Passenger Lands Plane After Pilot Collapses and Dies At the Controls 249
Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes "NBC reports that flying instructors at Humberside Airport, near the city of Hull in northeast England, told a passenger who had never flown before how to land a four-seater Cessna 172 after the pilot collapsed and died at the controls. Passenger John Wildey explained to air traffic controllers that he had no flying experience and that the pilot could not control the plane. 'It came down with a bump, a bump, a bump, hit the front end down, I heard some crashing and it's come to a halt,' said Stuart Sykes. 'There were a few sparks and three or four crashes, that must have been the propeller hitting the floor. Then it uprighted again and it came to a stop.' Roads around the airport were closed while two incoming flights to the airport, from Scotland and the Netherlands, were delayed as a result of the incident. The passenger took four passes of the runway, and there were cheers from the control tower when it finally came to a halt on the ground. 'For somebody who is not a pilot but has been around airfields and been a passenger on several occasions to take control is nothing short of phenomenal," said Richard Tomlinson. "He made quite a good landing, actually,' added flight instructor Murray. 'He didn't know the layout of the airplane. He didn't have lights on so he was absolutely flying blind as well.'"
Well then... (Score:5, Funny)
Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.
Re: FAA (Score:2, Funny)
Because Obama has tons of influence in northeastern England.
That's just plane awesome. (Score:5, Funny)
So he basically winged it and hoped for the best?
Not a pilot but... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:A GOOD LANDING !! (Score:5, Funny)
In general, you're doing a good job if at all times you keep the plane between the two lights on the wingtips.
Re:A GOOD LANDING !! (Score:5, Funny)
Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing. Any landing you can walk away from and reuse the aircraft is a great one!
Re:And the pilot? (Score:5, Funny)
He must have had the fish.
Re:Well then... (Score:4, Funny)
Bet the pilot is kicking himself for having the fish.
Re:Well then... (Score:4, Funny)
So tell me, Timmy, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?
Re:Geez, crumped the nose wheel and the prop! (Score:5, Funny)
My condolences to the family of the Aviator that passed away.
Re:And the pilot? (Score:5, Funny)
Oblig joke: Grandpa died quietly in his sleep. Everyone else in plane was screaming.
So let us fire the pilots (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Mythbusters . . . hah! (Score:3, Funny)
In other words, its not as hard as you'd think it is, and its actually easier in hte real world than in the simulators IMO.
Better graphics and frame rate too...
Re: And the pilot? (Score:2, Funny)
Any of those little blurbs, even if not the actual cause of death, would have been very useful.
You watch Fox News, don't you?
"I don't care if it's true, I just want someone to tell me something."
Re:Good stuff (Score:5, Funny)
If explaining, over a radio, how to land a plane to someone who has never flown before is anywhere near as hard as explaining to your grandparents how to use a computer, over a phone, than that actually might be the more miraculous endeavor that night.
Re:So let us fire the pilots (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Actually, Flaring is really the hardest part (Score:5, Funny)
Goddmannitt. Where's the arrow keys on this thing?
Re:Ground point five (Score:4, Funny)
So most Slashdotters can fly a plane, know unix, can code a language or two, and have girlfriends!?
Riiiight.