Slashdot Mirror
Passenger Lands Plane After Pilot Collapses and Dies At the Controls
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.'"
Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.
Because Obama has tons of influence in northeastern England.
So he basically winged it and hoped for the best?
He did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
In general, you're doing a good job if at all times you keep the plane between the two lights on the wingtips.
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!
What part of "shall not be infringed" is so hard to understand?
He must have had the fish.
Cut that Sky Hawk right seater's shirt off his back! That fully qualifies as a "First Solo Flight!"
My condolences to the family of the Aviator that passed away.
Oblig joke: Grandpa died quietly in his sleep. Everyone else in plane was screaming.
John Boehner just released a statement: "This incident clearly proves pilots are not essential and we can get by without them. Let us furlough them, profit destroying, union joining, commie socialistic, moochers."
sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
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...
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.
Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
Goddmannitt. Where's the arrow keys on this thing?
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
So most Slashdotters can fly a plane, know unix, can code a language or two, and have girlfriends!?
Riiiight.