CAPTAIN INCAPACITATED | Passenger Helps Land the aircraft

22 MAR 2023
Southwest B737 performing flight from Las Vegas to Columbus was enroute when the First Officer declared an emergency reporting the Captain had fainted and become incapacitated. A passenger (licenced pilot) came over into the cockpit to help land the aircraft.
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[@VASAviation]

Wishing the Captain a speedy recovery! Thanks to that passenger for helping out on the return.

[@eternalfizzer]

Well done all! Hope he's ok. It's sure nice to know that you have a team around you when something like that happens.

[@waynemayo1661]

A bit more than"a passenger". He was, according to other reports, a pilot for another carrier, flying in uniform. Probably a Flight Attendant approached him/her and asked if he/she could help. Everyone was either doing his/her job, or volunteering to a job he/she was trained and qualified for. And, if there had been no one to assist, the FO could have flown the plane and landed by himself. He would have been busy, but he could have done it.

[@respectbossmon]

@@waynemayo1661 Agreed. It was fortunate he didn't have to. Having someone else handle radio traffic and complete checklists while he could concentrate on being the 'pilot flying,' can make a huge difference regardless his experience.

[@mace41canuck]

Ok now this is confusing because this exact scenario happened in Canada At a Calgary airport. Yyc a few days ago

[@handsofsaints]

​@@eternalfizzerl

[@Muggles87]

And once again, this is why the concept of single pilot operations of commercial airliners is a really terrible idea.

[@George-ni5ic]

This was my first thought on hearing this story. 142 souls on board and only one pilot is a lousy equation.

[@ricardokowalski1579]

I know, right? It's like having two pilots is a no brainer. Shows you the lack of brains in management. 😂 🧠🚫

[@asdf3568]

I bet in the future there will be zero pilots

[@fabandyou]

All things being equal, yes I agree. But when single pilot operations come in, all things will not be equal… because that would be stupid.

[@laaaliiiluuu]

Well, you could bypass it by having some button that needs to be pressed every 5 minutes and if that doesn't happen then the autopilot would do an auto land at the nearest airport

[@Zerbey]

Give that FO a raise, and I hope the Captain makes a full recovery.

[@lemonator8813]

He showed he has what it takes to sit left seat. And looks like someone just lost their medical...

[@jimcrelm9478]

@@lemonator8813 Coincidence?

[@Kpoole35]

@@lemonator8813 i wouldn't say they lost their med card but they wont be flying for a few months.

[@malek7861]

Not just a licensed pilot, but a pilot in another airliner in the US.

[@pigybak]

exactly

[@jerrivelrodriguez9447]

From Southwest actually

[@gerrydevenpeck6150]

Not a SWA pilot.

[@jazzi_0453]

@@jerrivelrodriguez9447 Apparently from Net Jets (corporate jet company)

[@Tony_Airlines]

"Passenger" title sells better than "deadheader"

[@hayden4516]

For those curious as to why Southwest couldn’t taxi to the gate on their own: the tiller that controls the nose wheel steering for taxi is located on the captain’s side. I imagine with the task saturation shared between the FO and the rest of the crew, taxi to the gate was near the bottom of priorities.

[@locknloadbitch]

isnt there another one on the F/O side ?

[@chrisisnice]

Yeah but the fo can still steer the airplane from the rudder pedals

[@straightpipediesel]

@@chrisisnice Pedal steering is designed for keeping the airplane on the runway during takeoff and landing, there's not enough steering authority to make a turn. On the 737, the tiller gives you 78 degrees of nosewheel deflection, whereas the rudder gives you only 7 degrees.

[@jamesstuart3346]

They didn't taxi to the gate because the captain needed an ambulance immediately and you can't unload him from a moving aircraft

[@bmoulas]

The pilot was walked to the back of the cabin so the left seat was 'open' if not taken. I suspect the pilot that came in to assist was not trained/comfortable/qualified to do the taxi.

[@royalbirb2090]

absolutely outstanding job by that FO. single pilot in a 737 is not easy and he was under a ton of stress. huge congrats for a job well & safely done! if anyone is wondering why he couldn't vacate the runway, it's because the tiller for nosewheel steering is on the left side of the cockpit, and he probably didn't want to risk the passenger pilot messing it up. maybe also due to company policy. the nose wheel steering available with the rudder pedals only gives about 15deg of deflection iirc, which isnt enough for most turns.

[@patrickbegley7446]

thank you! was wondering about that

[@sndestroy]

At last some plausible explanation for that! Thank you very much.

[@armoredgaming2352]

I don’t know much about the 737, but may I ask why it’s a difficult airplane to fly solo?

[@mikeknowles8017]

Ok that make sense. Thanks.

[@royalbirb2090]

@@armoredgaming2352 large twin-engine turbojets are designed to have 2 crew, so checklists are split so that each crew member has only a few things to do per checklist. plus it has a ton of systems and settings to keep track of, not even mentioning programming the flight computer. remembering/doing the checklists necessary for landing while also time and altitude-constrained, at the same time as flying the aircraft, puts a ton of mental load on the pilot. the autopilot isn't particularly easy to use either, especially when your route isnt in the flight computer yet.

[@jasonthomas9364]

Great job by the Southwest First Officer

[@TeemarkConvair]

and THIS is why we want TWO humans in a commercial cockpit!, it's rare but NOT rare for 142 souls! well done team!

[@JohnThreeSixteen918]

My thoughts exactly

[@WhyTheLongFace01]

Also, great job by the off-duty pilot who helped out w/coms and basically being PM.

[@TiagoSeiler]

Outstanding job by everyone, clear concise communication and action everywhere. Gave that captain the best chance they could, hope he makes it alright.

[@iatsd]

You don't seem to understand the meaning of concise. 1:11 was a shitshow of babbling. Anywhere else in the world it would simply be a mayday declaration, state flight intentions, and let ATC know it's a medical. Can be done in less than 10 seconds and fewer than 20 words. No fvcking about like Americans seem to always do.

[@NealB123]

FO is a boss. Give that man a pay raise and a promotion.

[@mrgone658]

...plus one more set of stripes for his shirt lapels, if that's what you had in mind.

[@ricardokowalski1579]

Talk about performing under pressure. Respect 🎩

[@listey]

People always go above and beyond their duties at work when required. That doesn't entitle them to a promotion.

[@psinclairjr]

If everything could be as efficient as this First Officer, ATCs, and "volunteer" pilot, we would be unstoppable. VERY IMPRESSIVE JOB folks

[@roscoejones4515]

Guessing the captain had the fish for dinner.

[@TheWolphren]

I don't think many people get this joke.

[@jaynbob42]

Only those with an excellent choice in entertainment 😅

[@woebel]

Always choose the lasagna

[@scorps888]

Probably had the coffee to go with it, unless he's another one with a "drinking problem"

[@jonesjones7057]

They had chicken or fish. He chose the lasagna.

[@-_neo_-]

Every microsoft flight sim players dream

[@M5snowhite]

Lmfao😂😂😂😂 yes sir!! Im ready lol 😎🛬

[@BullsEye72]

Yes haha "I'm kind of a pilot myself 😎"

[@calburnIII]

Hardly! Flying a desktop is nothing close to flying a real airplane!

[@fubrikio]

@@calburnIIIwhen you get to these advanced sims, the aircraft function very similarly.

[@norbertovalladares3870]

@@calburnIII Don't be such a debby downer.

[@mfelicio1]

Congratulations to the first officer.

[@erm000]

Another example that we still need 2 pilots on the cockpit. Excellent job from the FO and the passenger on the cockpit. Very profesional.

[@Forest_Fifer]

"can you fly this plane and land it?" "Surely you can't be serious...."

[@RemcovanZuijlen]

"don't call me shirley"

[@sunnyscott4876]

I read that the "passenger" was actually a pilot from another airline who stepped up and helped with the radio communication. It wasn't just a random person who wandered up and offered to help out. ✈️✈️✈️

[@kevinp8108]

the other pilot was probably not type-rated to operate a B737 so working the radio is all he could do.

[@sunnyscott4876]

@@kevinp8108 that alone had to be a big help. I'm sure that first officer was glad that he was there.

[@kevinp8108]

@@sunnyscott4876 It is rumored the off-duty pilot was from Netjets. They fly smaller corporate jets from Bombardier.

[@BradleySpahn]

This flight was an emergency aircraft and the FO was PIC, so the federal aviation regulations basically give him carte blanche to do what he needs to do, including having someone without a type rating operate the controls. But the FO exercised good decision making here and delegated comms rather than control of the plane.

[@ValNishino]

​@@kevinp8108 Also checklists and callouts; they can probably read most of the instruments.

[@thilomanten8701]

And that Lads is the whole reason we fly with two pilots; an FO and a Captain!

[@tin2001]

You mean you can't just flip the autopilot switch and let it fly itself to the destination? What is this? The middle ages?

[@davidgraham7932]

Exceptional work by all involved. Particularly the passenger who assisted. Not what you expect on your day off. Very professional all round.

[@drmayeda1930]

I hope this didn't screw up his flight time cap.

[@noeldown1952]

How exactly did they ask for help from passengers? "There's no reason to become alarmed and we hope you enjoy the rest of your flight. By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?"

[@cymbala6208]

😅

[@junenam145]

I'm a flight attendant. When we are greeting at the boarding door, we visually assess our passengers as best as we can. Anyone who appears intoxicated, anyone who seems too ill to fly, ABPs, other airline crews (either by their uniforms or by their badge/crew bags. Some will even introduce themselves as crew and give us their seat number in case we need them for anything. Usually, only other flight attendants will do the second part, but pilots are pretty easy to spot.) Most likely, the flight attendants were aware of the NetJet pilot during boarding and when briefed by the FO on the situation, just went and found him in his seat. Although, I'm sure passengers were alarmed when they saw the Captain come out for medical treatment and the other pilot fill in, regardless if a PA was made or not.

[@yooein]

I have heard the "if you are a doctor, please make yourself known to any of the flight attendants" call before. I was ready to transit in Siberia, as we were flying above Siberia at that moment. The doctor literally had their big ass leather bag as hand luggage with them!! And we didn't even have to land earlier, they handled the patient during the flight just fine. It was insane.

[@deborahbarry8458]

@@junenam145 thx. That was really clear. Helpful

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

I don't know how it works in the US but in Australia and other parts of the world I've flown usually it's on the manifest. If your deadheading on the apps it will also flag for the FAs. If you're booking normally but getting an industry discount it will show, same if you book for staff personal travel.

[@markmaki4460]

I guess the captain shouldn't have had the fish for dinner.

[@macmedic892]

Ah, yes… I had the lasagna.

[@markmaki4460]

@@macmedic892 XD

[@mrmustangman]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/op6bl4ycapiGg8k

[@tommasz1098]

My guess is the CPT shouldn't have taken the "no-jab-no-job" injection... but it is olny a guess...

[@markmaki4460]

@@tommasz1098 Shhh - the vaccines are 100% effective *wink*, and they even improve sexual performance (you just know they will claim this too sometime, if they haven't yet)

[@davecrupel2817]

8:01 "L1" That means the front most left side door. The main PAX door. The one we all go through when on-boarding and off-boarding. And by "disarmed" hes referring to whether the door can be opened without triggering the escape slide. Each door has one, incase of emergency evacuation is needed without the conevienece of a jet bridge or stair set.

[@atcdude067]

did someone ask?

[@frednewman2162]

Not a pilot, but from my prospective that was great communication between everyone that was involved in that incident!

[@stevel8743]

You are correct. That was textbook. All parties involved worked together perfectly

[@lemonator8813]

As a pilot an and dispatcher I can say it was well done. Everyone did their best to help their fellow aviator and I hope those seconds made a difference

[@alukis8791]

my guess was no access to tiller from FO side to do a taxi and thats why they wanted to stop on runway.

[@soupfork2105]

was wondering about that

[@StudioDaVeed]

@C H So, switch seats, it's vacated....

[@tomsherwood4650]

@C H Ummm. But the seat was not empty and there was no reason they could not switch seats on ground? Heard assistant was an airline pilot too?

[@BlackWidow00741]

​@Tom Sherwood Agree and airline pilot for a different company.

[@StudioDaVeed]

@C H Other comments deeper; suggest FO are Not to taxi? Seems like an oversight. Granted real rare an FO would switch seats but to be able to fly the plane but not allowed to taxi seems odd.

[@dre-aguto5749]

Heal fast, captain! Great job by FO, especially requesting tug when clearly not comfortable pulling into gate (for whatever reason).

[@decodiazHD]

Prob tiller in cpt side and/or sop not allowing f/o to taxi the aircraft

[@hewhohasnoidentity4377]

​@@decodiazHD I suspect that the captain being alert and communicating with flight attendants and medical personnel was part of the decision. Getting to a gate with a jet bridge is much faster to get someone to the hospital. If it was life or death that is the only option considered and rules don't matter. In this case, the first officer has likely never taxied a 737. He probably could if absolutely necessary, but under the circumstances chose to wait for air stairs. If the captain was unconscious it would be significantly more important to get to the gate. Using air stairs to deplane an unconscious person is not recommended. Great job by all involved especially the FO.

[@waholoopesorry74]

@@hewhohasnoidentity4377 Wow didn’t know we had an expert here. Most of what you said is wrong

[@Jcreek201]

As mentioned, the tiller is only on the Captians side. FO has limited ground control from the rudder pedals alone. Just enough to vacate runway, not enough to safely maneuver within the ramp.

[@Jcreek201]

@@waholoopesorry74 Where's Deadstick?

[@timblack33]

Best FO emergency coms I’ve heard in a long time. Single pilot 737 is no joke.

[@bobczz3919]

737 is easy to fly by one person.

[@timblack33]

@@bobczz3919 Bob I could have mispoken I’m not experienced in transport type aircraft just multi engine instrument and typically fly a cirrus. Had a chance to sit in an airline trainer type 737 (800 I think it was) simulator setup. I was a little overwhelmed to put it mildly and I’m no idiot and would consider myself a competent pilot. I think maybe if I owned a 737 and didn’t have company protocols and checklists to follow for passengers or was flying cargo it might be different. Now I’m curious and wanna try

[@ChangingAperture]

The First Officer did an awesome job! Super professional and on his game! Kept the aircraft safe and got on the ground as quickly as possible. Good work, sir!!

[@Belchmaster41]

yep....but to make long videos shorter, un-neccessary radar vectors need to be trimmed until ready for final 🛬 if the incident is serious enough, pilot might need to request a tow back to the gate

[@Jayfive276]

So did they action put a message on the PA with the immortal words "Ladies and Gentlemen, do we have a pilot on board?"

[@asdf3568]

Probably not. They took him to the back of the airplane so that other pilot probably saw that and offered to help out

[@Forest_Fifer]

​@@asdf3568 but did they drag him up the aisle by the arms, Airplane-style?

[@asdf3568]

@@Forest_Fifer Down the aisle. But yeah, they probably did or he walked

[@MrMegaMario64]

Reminder to always be thankful to any staff whether it be pilot, down to flight attendants, because with their professionalism disasters can be averted, and I believe this is a textbook case for that. From rerouting, to communicating, even the little things like being sure the door was disarmed at the end, it all matters. Only thing we can hope is that the pilot has a speedy recovery and that the crew get their recognition.

[@joshish9884]

Absolutely fantastic job by everyone involved. Major props to the FO and that other pilot who stepped in to help.

[@cenccenc946]

Rumor is southwest still charged the passenger for a seat upgrade. 😆 🤣 😂 seriously, well done.

[@Teakae]

Additional charges apply to “pilot experience package with emergency upgrade”.

[@augustuscrocker9328]

@@Teakae That extra cost package is only currently available on Spirit and Frontier.

[@Noledad77]

Wow, amazing work by all involved. I certainly wish the captain a full and speedy recovery!!

[@brucecuratola6389]

Nice assessment by the first officer! As an WMT, we like to have as much info on patient condition so we can think through and prepare interventions.

[@joelbosso1331]

Captain Incapacitated was my fraternity nickname

[@TheKaidynB]

Speedy recovery to the cap!

[@retiredandcrusty]

Outstanding work by all

[@darrylr.4983]

It was a NetJet's corporate pilot going to the NetJets HQ at CMH. If he was picking up a plane in CMH he'd be in uniform, if going to training he was probably in civilian clothes. I flew for NetJets from 2005-2017 and prior to that I flew a variety of airliners including 2500 hours in the 737. But my last 737 flight was in 2003 so I would not have tried to taxi the incident plane. I would have just helped on the radios and with checklist. Now if the Captain was in cardiac arrest with CPR in progress then yes I would have risked taxiing to the gate. You have to remember the nosewheel is sitting around 10 feet behind the pilots so you have to delay turning until you feel that the nosewheel is on the centerline, not your body.

[@JoshGratton]

No words. Amazing job to everyone involved. Incredible.

[@RipRoaringGarage]

Anyone onboard the flight that was at Roadkill Nights? Glad it was ok and hope the captain recovers and gets back to flight status!

[@pilotdrew]

Great job by the controllers getting everything handled as efficiently as possible, and to all of the pilots involved as well

[@andrewtaylor940]

"Does anybody know how to fly an airplane?" Here's hoping the Captain was okay.

[@Ms.Opinionated]

Job well done. You played how you practiced!!!!

[@pondscummagnetfishing]

Well done by all.

[@TheEDFLegacy]

Except for the mix-up with the tug, that was textbook. Great job by everyone involved!

[@SuperDave_BR549]

WOW! that's airmanship!

[@bmitch3020]

I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.

[@mrmustangman]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/op6bl4ycapiGg8k

[@Republic3D]

The reason they were not able to taxi is that the passenger (pilot not certified on 737) was sitting in the left seat (captain was in the cabin), and the tiller for steering is on the left side. There is no tiller on the right side on the 737. They likely figured out that the passenger could turn the tiller slightly just to get off the runway in the end. Good job by everyone involved.

[@PedroThePortuguesePilot]

Great job by the first officer. Striving to be like that man!

[@deew7014]

Can’t believe anyone would think a single pilot is a good idea

[@colinmccarthy7921]

That was a job well done.The Technical Words in the Communication had to be very precise.

[@bluehorseshoe9216]

Great job managing a very tough situation

[@BloxyGamezAV]

Dream come true for a passenger

[@taylorm1396]

I enjoy hearing the audio and finding out what happened during emergencies I watch on flightradar

[@avgeek-and-fashion]

I hate Twitter. The amount of stupid on that goddamn hellhole makes aviation news unintelligible. KZbin comment section makes for a MUCH better experience! Hugs to all of my fellow avgeeks here!! You truly are the best!

[@Stettafire]

KZbin has its moments. But yeah it's less toxic then twitter mostly

[@HYPERSONIC-777]

ALWAYS TRY TO DO THE RIGHT THING IN EVERY SITUATION THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE! GREAT AIRMANSHIP SKILLS 100%! I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE! USAF 💖!

[@jros6770]

Kudos for the passenger pilot

[@js46644]

Great cooperation all around

[@prorobo]

Good god the misinformation regarding this event is astounding. The SWA FO is the one that flew and landed the plane. The “pilot” that helped out was a NetJets (corporate) pilot deadheading into position by his company on a paid SWA ticket. It was NOT some random private pilot who would be utterly useless in the cockpit of a 737.

[@EdOeuna]

Any non-rated pilot would probably be utterly useless as PM too.

[@prorobo]

@@EdOeuna correct. All this dude did was talk on the radio for the descent, not exactly a hero.

[@trueriver1950]

​@@EdOeuna so I'm guessing they'd have been unimpressed with my 15 (one fife) hours in a Cessna under tuition?

[@Freezorgium]

@@prorobo He helped relieve some of the workload for the FO, and he probably helped run checklists as well. If he wasn't needed he wouldn't have been called. Where exactly is the "misinformation"? He's a pilot and he helped the FO with pilot tasks, and any pilot would have been able to do the same, netjets, ryanair, fresh frozen ATPL or PPL.

[@prorobo]

@@Freezorgium no, he didn’t help run any checklists. Do you understand how type ratings and transport category aircraft work? I fly the 757 and 767, have flown the A320, and a couple of RJs. Would I be running checklists if I were called up to talk on the radio in a 737? No. And not a single corporate pilot with zero large aircraft experience would be helpful beyond talking on the radios and occupying the empty seat.

[@saymichaelwibowo4045]

That FO needed to get a raise and promotion!

[@johnnyfive1412]

The passenger stayed at a Holiday Inn Express the night before the flight.

[@kewkabe]

"...and we will be coming around with cabin service shortly. Oh by the way, are there any experienced Microsoft Flight Simulator players on board, specifically the PMDG 737?" *chaos erupts*

[@tin2001]

They really should just announce the PMDG add-ons will be available to anyone who would like, and just press the call button to request a yoke.

[@Tyleraviator99]

lol I was just thinking this

[@julianxv]

Is there no Airstairs in the Airport Fire Department? Its standart equipment for a german internation airport fire department

[@deviljhoo1090]

And thats why single pilot commercial airplanes is not a good idea. 2 pilots airplanes are a MUST!

[@TheOReport1994]

1:50 Thank you pilot for already volunteering number of souls on board and hours of fuel! Well done!

[@ardeladimwit]

smooth handling by all involved

[@gooner72]

Good news that the first officer had some help, hope the Captain was OK.

[@steppedonapoptop]

Thanks!

[@kylecampbell1444]

Great Job by everyone

[@listey]

Am I the only one that hates that they refer to the number of "souls" on board?

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

Yeah it's POB everywhere else in the world.

[@lynneporges7734]

Miracles Do Happen🎉❤

[@SenFena]

I just want to tell you both: Good luck, we're all counting on you.

[@Notimp0rtant523]

Do they refund your ticket if you have to fly the plane?

[@thisiscait]

I wonder what call they would have put out on the PA! Or perhaps he made himself known when the change was announced.

[@genegade]

Finally the justification I needed to hand the captain my "I'm a 150 hour PPL sitting in 35A if you need any assistance at all during the flight" card

[@deborahbarry8458]

I’m a doctor. I understand how it can feel uncomfortable but how wonderful it is for the crew if an Emergency occurs!

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

The pilot who assisted was an ATP qualified airline pilot. A VFR PPL holder is not any use to us.

[@wavedog23]

It's interesting to me that I've watched a decent amount of plane-related videos, and in what seems like a majority of them, they refer to passengers as "souls." Always struck me as an subtle allusion to the fact that those individuals are in what somewhat amounts to a miracle of a situation (mastery of flight despite being indisputable ground dwellers), and that they're referencing the fact that if disaster were to strike, there's a chance that it could end in catastrophe. But I digress - love these videos where people step up and save the day; great stuff!

[@photosapphic1984]

Souls on board means everyone, not just passengers.

[@tcm_tatra]

There was a also Tarom flight from Timisoara (Romania) to Hurghada (Egypt) where one of the pilots became incapacitated. The plane diverted to Bucharest (Romania) to drop the pilot to ambulance and later continued with another pilot.

[@topgun9666]

I am guessing the other pilot from another company isn't rated on the 73 and would be dangerous for him to taxi it. I think a lot of the SWA planes only have a tiller on the pilot side. I can see the legal remifications if the other company pilot hit something when taxing.

[@darkstarnh]

A masterclass in how to get it right.

[@salzstreuerdeluxe]

In Germany we say: "Viele Hände, schnelles Ende!" 😉

[@nancychace8619]

Hope the pilot was ok. There seems to be a lot more mishaps these days than times past. Stay safe everybody.

[@fr8dogpilot]

The Jab will put you on the Slab... Everyone knows why, they just will not admit it.

[@dmhemmi6726]

That dude got to live every pilots guilty dream

[@Truex007]

That passenger better have gotten that flight for free!

[@FalconX88]

Any more information on this out there?

[@FLIPPER1439]

“”Don’t they always have a CO-PILOT?”” I just started watching this,hopefully there an explanation regarding the heading of this video?

[@oGRYzki]

Excellent CRM! I'm just wondering if the reason they were unable to taxi to their gate was because there was only a first officer in the cockpit who couldn't do it alone?

[@loudidier3891]

While you can steer on the runway with differential breaking (using left brake more than right to turn left) once at taxiing speeds, the nose wheel turns to steer. On the planes I flew the tiller (nose wheel steering handle) is on the left wall, unreachable from the First Officer's seat.

[@oGRYzki]

@@loudidier3891 Thank you

[@hrbllc4206]

He’s not a pilot but he did stay at a holiday inn express last night.

[@richwightman3044]

Let the non-pilot explanations begin!

[@aleixonline]

Viewers cleared to fly armchair, maintain FL0.

[@havfaith56]

I hear they want to cut pilots to one?

[@mfelicio1]

Impossible

[@jdaz5462]

Eventually, technology will allow that.

[@charlotteinnocent8752]

@@jdaz5462 No.

[@MiGujack3]

It's all fun and games until you get a pillot that wants to pull a Germanwings.

[@stephenbeck7222]

@T.J. Kong we’re at least a generation of airplanes away from remote piloting being feasible. The way the headlines read now, airlines want to go single pilot within a couple years.

[@PickleRickSanchez]

The passenger did what we all dream of doing haha very well done. Lucky bastard lol

[@beardfacee]

So how did they find the pilot on board? Did they have to do a PA 'Airplane!' style? 'Btw, is there anyone on board who can fly this plane?'

[@Strathclydegamer]

Captain was taken to the rear of the cabin to be cared for, presumably was carried or assisted to walk back there. Makes sense the deadheading pilot noticed this and offered to help

[@stargazer7644]

Someone noticed the guy in the pilots uniform sitting in 12C.

[@westhubbard4126]

The flight attendant comes on the PA - "uh, anyone on this plane a pilot?" 😂

[@fritz46]

"... anyone who didn't have fish for dinner?"

[@PetrolHeadBrasil]

Any news on the Captain?

[@ElJefeGrande123]

Professionalism amongst the chaos.

[@brentsummers7377]

I wonder what type of pilot would be allowed to help in that situation? A low hours licensed pilot of Cessna/Piper training type aircraft might be able to watch for traffic, & maybe lower the landing gear when told, but little else.

[@morerightrudder9742]

If a licensed pilot is onboard but not type rated the most they would be allowed to do is use the radio, confirm checklist items and watch for traffic I guess. Here in Australia radio use is a separate license, not sure if it's the same in the U.S

[@RoseSharon7777]

He was licensed by another airline as Captain for the same model aircraft.

[@EdOeuna]

I wouldn’t allow a non-company pilot into the flight deck in such circumstances. Too much risk for me to be happy with.

[@RoseSharon7777]

@@EdOeuna He was checked out by SW headquarters before he went into flightdeck. He simply helped with radio communications.

[@EdOeuna]

@@RoseSharon7777 - difference in airline policy I suppose. The last time I had a slightly unwell pilot in the flight deck I got written permission from the Ops Manager just to allow a deadheading Captain into the flight deck to sit in the jump seat. Personally, I would like to be alone and just get on with the job. It is pretty straightforward. Having someone else there would be a distraction.

[@nimblybimbly4002]

8:00 What did the first officer mean when he said "the doors are disarmed"? Is that just in reference to the locking mechanism? I'm curious why he didn't want the airstairs to approach first. I would have thought they could pull up and wait there without causing any issues.

[@-DC-]

Disarmed means the Emergency Chutes won't deploy if an attempt is made to open the door.

[@nimblybimbly4002]

@@-DC- Makes perfect sense. Thanks.

[@nerysghemor5781]

As a non-pilot could someone explain why they couldn’t go to the ramp? Was it to have the ambulance get to them quicker?

[@whereisleigh]

The 737 is equipped with a tiller(steering) only on the captains side of the AC. The pilot in the right seat of a 737 has limited ability to steer the AC.

[@deborahbarry8458]

Non airplane person here. What does a First Officer do? Is it like being the assistant pilot?

[@whereisleigh]

@@deborahbarry8458 the captain is the pilot in command. If the captain becomes incapacitated, the first officer will then become the pilot in command. First officers assist the Captain and in most cases will eventually become Captains themselves. First officers also takeoff, fly, and land the aircraft and are trained to handle emergencies! Hope that helps….

[@mzone9591]

@@deborahbarry8458 The FO is fully trained to do everything the Captain does. The issue here is the limitations of the aircraft controls, not the limitation of the copilot. The controls needed for maneuvering on the ground were on the Captain's side of the cockpit where the assisting pilot was presumably sitting. That assisting pilot stepped in to help in an emergency, but may not have been officially qualified to actually operate the plane. Getting everyone safely on the ground may override some considerations in an emergency, but once they were on the ground, clearing the runway would not be an emergency and would not be something that would override regulations and company procedures.

[@Fatherofheroesandheroines]

This sounds like a former pilot I knew. He had a condition that forced him to quit because for some reason he started passing out at any height above 100 feet. I don't know what that's called but he is on medicine so he can travel but he can't get pilot qualified anymore.

[@herrpausr7008]

Sorry if this has already been asked, but why is the gate number so important for the controllers?

[@douglasphillips1203]

So they know where to have EMTs meet the plane

[@uncleandy2412]

Ah, this is why my flight took off late.

[@FlyingMaxFr]

Do you have an explanation as to why they initially could not vacate from the runway?

[@stargazer7644]

Because the nose gear steering handle is on the Captain's side only. The FO couldn't reach it, and the pilot assisting wasn't rated for a 737 and had never driven one to the ramp.

[@FlyingMaxFr]

@@stargazer7644 Got it! Thanks.

[@user2kffs]

And this is why we have deadheading personel