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Plane Diverted To Valley After Pilot Has Heart Attack
KGBT4 (CBS affiliate for the Texas Rio Grande Valley) ^ | Jan 20, 2007 11:16 PM | Staff

Posted on 01/21/2007 9:06:16 PM PST by Paleo Conservative

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To: Paleo Conservative

Instead of asking for an MD on board, they should also see if there are people trained in medical emergencies on board. An experienced nurse or a EMS worker could monitor vital signs and keep a dying person alive or at least give them a better chance than just being monitored by a flight attendant.


21 posted on 01/21/2007 10:46:26 PM PST by Kirkwood
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To: Paleo Conservative

That's what I thought; another set of eyes and hands to take care of the mundane stuff for him while he concentrated on flying.

Thanks for getting back to me.


22 posted on 01/21/2007 10:49:07 PM PST by Wombat101 (Islam: Turning everything it touches to Shi'ite since 632 AD...)
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To: Kirkwood
I'm sure they asked for anyone who had relevant medical skills. The Houston Chronicle says, "passengers included a couple of doctors and nurses."
23 posted on 01/21/2007 11:04:35 PM PST by Paleo Conservative
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To: Kirkwood
Jan. 21, 2007, 1:29PM

Pilot dies after falling ill in cockpit


Police say he collapsed at the controls before Houston-Mexico flight was diverted

By ANNE MARIE KILDAY and JAMES PINKERTON
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

The pilot of a Continental Airlines flight from Houston to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, became ill during the flight Saturday and died after the plane was diverted to McAllen, the airline announced.

"The co-pilot consulted with Continental's operations center and arrangements were made to divert the aircraft to McAllen and to be met by an ambulance," airline spokesman Dave Messing said in an e-mail. " ... Unfortunately, the ill pilot did not survive."

Messing said the Newark, N.J.-based pilot is thought to have died of natural causes. Messing declined to identify the pilot but said he had more than 20 years of service.

Lt. Paulo Herrera of the McAllen Fire Department said the pilot had a heart attack.

Continental Flight 1838, a Boeing 757, departed George Bush Intercontinental Airport at 11:30 a.m. with 210 passengers. It landed in McAllen about 1:30 p.m. A replacement crew flew from Houston to McAllen and the flight took off again about 6 p.m. and landed in Puerto Vallarta at 7:17 p.m.

Lt. Scott Luke of the McAllen Police Department, who responded to the airport, said the flight's captain collapsed at the controls while the plane was about 200 miles south of the Texas border.

The McAllen Fire Department was notified at 1:21 p.m. about "an inflight medical emergency," Herrera said.

"They told us it was for a full arrest," he said.

"We waited for the plane to taxi to the jetway, and then we went onboard the plane," Herrera said. "The pilot was on the floor by the door. They had done compressions, CPR on him onboard the aircraft."

The pilot was transported to McAllen Medical Center. He was pronounced dead at 1:50 p.m., Luke said.

"There were a lot of passengers on the plane," Herrera said. "Some of them, a lot of them, had assisted the co-pilot and flight attendants in trying to help the pilot."

Luke said the passengers included a couple of doctors and nurses.

"They were pretty upset, losing their friend," Luke said of the crew. He said an autopsy would be conducted today.

James Pinkerton reported from Harlingen.


24 posted on 01/21/2007 11:07:27 PM PST by Paleo Conservative
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To: Wombat101
As some of you know already I am a Captain for a large National Airline. We (Captain or FO) routinely leave the Cockpit to use the lavatory during flight. We are required to have one of the Flight attendants come up and take our place when we leave. They are obviously not qualified to Fly the aircraft but they can open the door for the other pilot when he/she returns.

The type certificate of the planes require two pilots to operate in part 121 (Air Carrier) operation. So yes some silly regulation DOES require two pilots. If this happens then the First Officer automatically becomes the Pilot In Command(PIC) and any other pilots or Flight attendants work under them until landing.

Wombat101, you are right. there is too much to do for one pilot to do everything normally. Both pilots are qualified to fly and usually we trade off for each leg or every two legs. One guy flies and the other guy talks to air traffic control and coordinates things with the Flight attendants and Operations people.
25 posted on 01/22/2007 12:13:02 AM PST by airplaneguy
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To: airplaneguy

SO, if there is no pilot among the passengers when the pilot or copilot becomes incapacitated, it becomes impossible to land the plane?


26 posted on 01/22/2007 12:23:33 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck
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To: Senormechanico

LOL! - I see you've landed in McAllen too ;o)


27 posted on 01/22/2007 12:27:43 AM PST by Liberty Valance (Keep a simple manner for a happy life ;o)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

You're assuming that both pilots croak at the same time right? If that were to happen then yeah that's basically it. If that happens and there are no other pilots typed on that type, well then good luck. Private pilots like to think they could do it, but it's not gonna happen. Both pilots being incapacitated at the same time has never happened to my knowledge.


28 posted on 01/22/2007 12:30:42 AM PST by airplaneguy
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To: airplaneguy

I'm talking one pilot left, and none among passengers. Does that put restrictions upon landing the plane, such as only certain airports or can't do it in bad weather etc.


29 posted on 01/22/2007 12:41:24 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck
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To: airplaneguy
Assuming the deaths or incapacitation of both pilots, is it possible for anyone to even enter the flight deck if the door is locked?

Also, if the workload is too great for a single pilot, is it possible for a single private pilot to land the aircraft with the assistance of a flight attendant or second passenger?

It seems like someone could be told, by radio, how to reduce speed, lower flaps and landing gear and even operation of the thrust reversers if the individual had flying experience.

The alternative to making no attempt, of course, would be death for all aboard.

30 posted on 01/22/2007 1:50:04 AM PST by NoControllingLegalAuthority
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To: Paleo Conservative
Remember back in the 50's, a movie in which Doris Day who played a stewardess landed a DC6 , DC7 or maby a DC4 at SFO by herself. Made a good landing too.
31 posted on 01/22/2007 4:00:45 AM PST by G-Man 1
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To: airplaneguy
Flight attendants come up and take our place when we leave. They are obviously not qualified to Fly the aircraft but they can open the door for the other pilot when he/she returns.
. . . which raises the obvious question of how rare it is for a stew to have a private pilot's license.

And/or, to be given enough of an introduction to the cockpit to be as useful in an emergency as someone off the street who does.


32 posted on 01/22/2007 5:11:29 AM PST by conservatism_IS_compassion (The idea around which liberalism coheres is that NOTHING actually matters except PR.)
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To: Frwy

There's an old pilot saying about weather: "Better to be on the ground wishing you were flying than in the air wishing you were on the ground", and i guess the same applies to heart-attacks.......


33 posted on 01/22/2007 5:12:08 AM PST by expatpat
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To: airplaneguy

The small-plane pilot has to do both when flying IFR -- but I guess things happen faster at the higher speeds of airliners.


34 posted on 01/22/2007 5:16:37 AM PST by expatpat
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To: airplaneguy
You are saying that in the modern glass cockpit the controls are so specialized that even an airline pilot couldn't land a type of plane he wasn't checked out on? What, does the cockpit run under Windows or something?!
35 posted on 01/22/2007 5:21:47 AM PST by conservatism_IS_compassion (The idea around which liberalism coheres is that NOTHING actually matters except PR.)
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To: txroadkill
lot of switches and stuff for one guy to handle by himself.

I'm thinking the nosewheel steering on those is handled by a "tiller" that is only on the captians side of the cockpit.

36 posted on 01/22/2007 6:46:23 AM PST by narby
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To: Paleo Conservative
"They asked for a pilot out of the passengers and one guy who flies small planes went out and helped them," he remembered.


37 posted on 01/22/2007 7:39:08 AM PST by anymouse
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To: conservatism_IS_compassion
which raises the obvious question of how rare it is for a stew to have a private pilot's license.

My cousin is an international flight attendant for a large US airline. If you call her a "stew" to her face, she's liable to rip your arm off and beat you with it.

38 posted on 01/22/2007 7:46:30 AM PST by CholeraJoe (Spork weasels ain't afraid of nuthin' but running out of sardines.)
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To: anymouse

Over "Macho Grande" ???


39 posted on 01/22/2007 12:11:11 PM PST by cmsgop ( How do we know he's NOT Mel Torme?)
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To: cmsgop

"I'll never get over Macho Grande." :)


40 posted on 01/22/2007 1:07:50 PM PST by anymouse
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