Posted on 01/20/2007 8:47:51 PM PST by txroadkill
The pilot of a Continental Airlines flight became ill after takeoff and was later pronounced dead after the plane made an emergency landing Saturday, a company spokeswoman said.
The 210 passengers on the flight, which departed from Houston, were never in danger and the co-pilot landed the plane safely, Continental spokeswoman Macky Osorio said.
The airline said only that the pilot suffered a "serious medical problem." Continental believes the pilot died of natural causes, Osorio said. The pilot's name was not released.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Speaking of immigration, did they find anybody in the wheel wells?
Weren't the 747-SP also beefed up and structurally reinforced ?
Understandably. Most have been a terrible shock to the dead pilot's crew.
Prayers for them and the pilots family and may his soul rest in peace.
Just the opposite. They were lightened versions of the 747-100. Instead of triple slotted ailerons, they had lightened double slotted ones. The fuselage was shortened by 50 feet, and the tail was increased in size. The landing gear was also lightened. The PW bought two 747SP's for their engine test bed program -- one to fly, the other for unique SP parts and other spares. I think the SOFIA plane also has spares taken from a second former United SP. I know they took the entire empanage from another SP and used it for a mockup of the SOFIA plane so the process of cutting a hole and mounting the infrared telescope could be debugged prior to cutting on the working plane. Supposedly the mockup is now used for training.
So why did you do it?
Continental is a very very stressful company to work for. I figure my 6 years there shaved 6 years off my life span.
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