Pilot INCAPACITATION, Medical EMERGENCY | British Airways Airbus A320 neo | Zurich airport

[@grandsoleil56]

The clarity of the Swiss ATC is next level

[@이진-u3i]

thumbs up : D

[@jerrydunn3004]

The Swiss speak better English than I do.

[@anishannayya1]

He sounds like a robot.

[@mikethrower742]

Very professional all round...I liked the Swiss lady asking the pilot if he could accept a frequency change...that demonstrates excellent awareness of the pilot workload....

[@YouCanSeeATC]

It was one of the best and professionally handled situations I've ever seen.

[@scrubsidiot]

Swiss ATCO students are given two weeks of flight training to raise awareness for high workload situations in the cockpit. They have extensive abnormal situations courses, which clearly pays off. All colleagues working there are more than professional.

[@RSwrightMD]

@@scrubsidiot SWISS ATCO training is exemplary

[@thispersonis]

This is the voice you want to hear when there's an emergency. BA pilots are the best of the best - always so calm and professional. Hats off to Swiss ATC too.

[@YouCanSeeATC]

👍

[@antheiheiant]

They're also huge assholes, coming from an ATC.

[@TaySplatoon]

Very proud of them 🇬🇧

[@atom999]

Swiss ATC is by far the best ATC I've heard. The word choice, pace and pronunciation is crystal clear.

[@YouCanSeeATC]

👍

[@JoelWelter]

The FO was taken to the hospital, but has since been released (according to an article in the Sun news).

[@JoelWelter]

@RP It would depend on what caused it. If it was an acute condition that resolved, he should be able to pass his physical.

[@cymbaliv5586]

Am I alone in imagining that the object of European AT controllers is to enunciate their words clearly and distinctly, in comparison with US controllers who seem to value more highly a rapid rate of delivery, with each word merged into the next?

[@Ztbmrc1]

Yes you are right. Sinds the 80's I have been listening to ATC here in the Netherlands, and several other countries. I had not heart any US atc at that time. That came when internet came. And the US ATC is very often quite fast, sometimes difficult to understand. But that is also because on average there is much more traffic to handle especially on the major airports. What amazes me most, is that it is standard to clear planes to land, although the runway is not clear yet, or even another plane is in front landing on the same runway. They rather cancel the landing clearance than waiting for the runway to be clear.

[@buckbuchanan5849]

I absolutely agree with you on that. As I am an American pilot and can attest to the rapid fire nature of the communications delivery by U.S. controllers.

[@luttes72]

The controller knew it was a single pilot emergency so he spoke very clearly and slowly. The controllers at Heathrow when busy, are very good, but they rattle off instructions quickly due to the heavy workload. i think its the same for the any ATC in a high paced environment.

[@louissikkema5399]

In non covid times the controlers at zürich are also extremely busy but still they speak extremely clearly and not to fast because saying things twice slowly takes more time than once understandable

[@RadioJonophone]

@@louissikkema5399 I am English, but speak French. When in France I assumed I spoke with an English accent, but my French friends said I sounded Swiss because of my measured and correct pronunciation.

[@christian-jakobgrasl]

What a perfect ATC communication between the pilot and the controllers 😀💪👍 BA captain seems very very professional, totally calm and relaxed

[@andrewsmall6568]

The pilot - single handed in the cockpit of commercial jet, was so ahead of the aircraft and situation he was asking for the hold HE wanted, ensuring he knew where to taxi and prepping ground services even before the landing. Ive noticed this very often with BA and Virgin pilots in emergency situations. They are so professional in contrast to certain other companies/nationalities in emergency situations. There is no doubt the British pilots are always the boss in these situations...

[@aljack1979]

Only reason why I continue to fly BA, some of the best.. Period

[@whatsup3d]

Absolutely agree - I got my PPL at the BA Flying Club and most of my instructors were BA pilots. Incredibly professional and competent. Pre 9/11 I flew jump seat a lot on BA and Virgin, can't say enough good thing about BA flight crew.

[@osumbuckeyenut]

This Portrays how any professional pilot should and usually does act in these situations. While the pilot does ACT extremely professional and handles the situation well, this is nothing exclusive to British aviation

[@Hellman555]

Most probably ex-airforce... very well handled!

[@PhantomMark]

@@Hellman555 My impression also, his radio manner suggested that to me tbh, there is just something about ex-RAF on comms that for me is instantly recognisable - I could be wrong of course, then my theory is worth nil :P

[@MrCrystalcranium]

Top notch emergency communication. Very professionally handled. Glad to see your subscriber numbers are going up and that you seem to be capturing more of the coms. Fast uploads too. Great job!

[@YouCanSeeATC]

Thank you.

[@joeirwin6212]

Very British, zero panic

[@Patsy_Parisi]

Stirred, but not shaken.

[@jonesygw]

Ladies and gentlemen, that's how it's done! Excellent example of top notch piloting , atc, and a pilot incapacitation situation handled in a text book manner. 👏👏👏👏👏 . Hopefully the co pilot made a full recovery.

[@brumstar07]

Phenomenal worK by ATC. At all times respecting the fact he's flying single pilot and not rushing him. "When you're able" and "if that's good for you" show the pilot he's being looked after and can ask for more track miles or time if needed. Great CRM. Its the little things that matter. Obviously also top work from the BA captain.

[@sunshinecatcher8779]

BA pilots always sound so professional

[@bugmanuk]

Amongst the best in the world.

[@springbok4015]

Hats off to the captain for such smooth handling. Hope the incapacitated makes a full recovery. Off topic: Would be great if the live radar would give a speed and altitude reading, if not too complicated.

[@Belchmaster41]

most of that stuff is trimmed until the video starts

[@bryceleinan]

Wow... I can’t believe how clearly they enunciate things in Zurich compared to most airports in the States. One comment: taxi is “taxi,” not “taxy.”

[@YouCanSeeATC]

Thank, typos.

[@FactsMatter]

It sounded almost robotic at times. Not a criticism, just an observation. I wonder if that speed of speech would hinder anything in a busier airspace.

[@squawkdirty6472]

@@FactsMatter It is not like that normally. I guess since they were aware of the type of the emergency, they deliberately slowed down. It's also quite common that if you have one available, other aircraft are then handled on a different frequency so that the pilot(s) of emergency aircraft arent disturbed by communication not relevant for them

[@mitcho04]

You’ll find taxy used in official documentation and charts. So technically valid.

[@janportmann2405]

If you listen in into a normal operation they will speak way faster but always clear an mostly stick to the standard wordings. As you should😂. Compared to us atc it is way more easy to understand.

[@skyvenrazgriz8226]

Very professional and good read backs. Well done! I hope the Co Pilot is alright now.

[@scrubsidiot]

Alright, I'll try to break down the handling by air traffic control a little bit: BLM is the VOR allocated to EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg (LFSB) and their approach control airspace goes up to FL145 in that area, so that's why the initial descent was given down to FL150 by Swiss Radar. Generally, giving track miles upon vectoring is a common practice at LSZH, mostly because airspace restrictions prevent early descents for traffic coming from the South, West and North. So giving track miles is the easiest way to proactively support pilots in their descent planning. In most cases heading 070/080 from that direction is the most direct approach aiming at somewhere between 11 and 15 NM final in normal operations (this time the aircraft was a bit farther out due to the early turn directly after BLM). The glide path starts at D8.2 and regulations require at lest 1NM straight and level flight beforehand. In this situation with one pilot incapacitated giving a few more miles on the localizer was a perfect way to give the pilot time to prepare himself (and the aircraft) for the final approach. In other, more urgent situations with both pilots operating the aircraft, an intercept as close as possible to the final approach point would have been more likely to get the the aircraft down to the ground as quickly as possible. D01 is a remote parking position on the southern part of the airport, so the effective taxi time should have been around 5-6 minutes to get there. Clear phraseology, calm communication and supportive actions from the Swiss colleagues. Top notch ATC.

[@minitrundle]

Love how the controllers understand he's a single pilot so give all the instructions slowly so he can write them down. If this was in the USA, the controllers would be spitting instructions like they were recording a demo with Eminem.

[@LongdownConker]

Hahaha 😂 🤣

[@Megabishop65]

Only a BA pilot would say "poorly" !

[@FactsMatter]

Did he say "poorly" or "portly"?

[@reo16]

@@FactsMatter poorly is what the British say when someone is feeling unwell.

[@larsjorgensen2911]

Yes, I also noted that “poorly” as an adjective rather than adverb typical of other English dialects

[@cjmillsnun]

I suspect a British pilot may say it, which ever airline they fly for.

[@johnmansell5097]

Compared to many US controllers you can understand clearly what has been said, not rushed clear and concise.

[@jackbreslin7583]

God those atc were all unbelievable but the second guy working approach is absurdly clear and easy to understand. Dude is great at his job.

[@khashiashtari2183]

I love BA 😍 Simply the best. Pure control. I hope the First Officer regained consciousness and recovered soon.

[@ciarankelly4338]

Very competent pilot! BA have great pilots and always feel very reassured when flying with them...

[@YouCanSeeATC]

👍

[@oakld]

Well, I'm not that sure. I'm a sick FO he turned back to London while nearing their destination and having tons of large suitable airports around. That looks like company politics or some strange logic was put in front of FO's look. It's not just good piloting that makes a good pilot, nowadays a pilot is more of a systems manager.

[@edchapmansvideos]

@@oakld Not really if you think about it. With limited flight schedules at the moment and only just over half way to the destination it makes sense to turn around and head back to base as ideally you don't want a stranded plane and crew at the arrival destination.

[@oakld]

@@edchapmansvideos I was wrong estimating traveled distance to 3/4 (it's ca 1400/2350 km, 60%). But what you wrote falls under the conditions I wrote, it does not make a sense from the point of safety of the FO or the flight. Either he was in such condition that he needed medical attention (that means land in the nearest suitable airport), OR he was (appeared to be) fit to make it to destination. At this time there's really no such thing as stranded plane, with tons of pilot's having been on reduced schedules, current, type rated, even BA SOP covered, at any major city around Europe and beyond.

[@michaelsmith8259]

Oh Boy, Very well done to the Pilot (Ex-Military perhaps?) His work load was steep but planed and executed perfectly, this is the situation where you are torn, you want to help your co-pilot but you still have all passenger's on board that depend on you, Oh Boy not a good place to be.

[@beverlymcfarlane8681]

What a delight to listen to this in comparison to some of the mumbled, indistinct, panic-stricken stuff from across the pond. Since listening to these, I am now very reluctant to fly in the States ever again. BA, Lufthansa, KLM and Air Baltic have some of the most professional pilots in the world and European air controllers are generally highly professional too.

[@sarge6870]

That's fine...you won't be missed!

[@coonagh1]

Superb airmanship, poise, communication clarity. A credit to the profession this BA Captain is. American pilots flying overseas, take note.

[@wokeupandsmellthecoffee214]

Just discovered your great channel and subbed you. I suspect a member of cabin crew would have been in the flight deck for the landing and possibly reading the landing checklist to the captain. This was the procedure when I was flying recently.

[@dohsoft]

I think I'd like that pilot around to announce the impending end of the world, you'd feel so calm and reassured about it!

[@76notam]

good comunication between BA flight in emergercy and Swiss control and tower ...good job , bravo ...i hope that the first officer is alive now ... 😘

[@SnowHarp]

Captain sounds very composed and appreciative of the ATC assistance. They were very accommodating. Now I want to know if the FO is still with us. Is he OK?

[@YouCanSeeATC]

Someone has said here that he is ok.

[@Julius4396]

Just discovered your channel and you've got a new sub! The quality is that of VASAviation - which is to say, superb!

[@gomphrena-beautifulflower-8043]

It’s bad enough to have to handle everything when a pilot is sick. But for one to be completely unconscious is that much more stressful. We certainly hope the pilot was expedited to appropriate medical care and is well now. Does anyone have a follow-up?

[@dpm-jt8rj]

After watching several videos posted by our host, I decided to subscribe. The videos seem to be improving. Good work by all hands in staying calm and working together to get the F/O help as soon as possible and in a safe manner for all. Well done.

[@TheMeniru]

I believe the gate was D01 not DS1, other than that great vid. Especially animating the movement of the plane.

[@YouCanSeeATC]

Thank you

[@TheMeniru]

You're welcome

[@GWAYGWAY1]

The clarity of ATC is really good compared to manyplaces.

[@PS-Straya_M8]

Hugh workload for the pilot excellent job under very stressful circumstances!

[@clinteranovic8075]

Really good quality communication and clear annunciation by all involved.

[@mollyfilms]

What a refreshing change to hear precise clear communications from both the British and European sides of the flight. The American way of speed talk is dangerous and doesn’t save any time for they constantly need repeating their instructions. Perhaps American ATC’s should have a lesson on how it’s done.

[@deletebilderberg]

🤦‍♂️🙄

[@strnglhld]

@@deletebilderberg They’re right.

[@BLACKMONGOOSE13]

2nd ATC sounds like the voice of the automated ATIS. Listen and see.

[@StuAnderson90]

hats off to everyone there... firstly the pilot... To know your colleague is unconcious and you cannot do anything about it is difficult, to look over and see that must be the worst day of his life.. but to fly the plane knowing that you need to on the ground quick, to do it safely, the fact you have several hundreds of people behind you which are relying on you to get them to the ground safely. To fly the plane and talk to ATC and still be concerned hats off to you sir... When you had to stand up and be counted and you were there front and centre. Secondly the ATC to recognise the may day and act quickly to make sure the headings were set up, people along the ATC network such as arrivals, ground, apron to let them know what's happening and roll out the ambulance whilst simultaneously controlling other traffic around them and giving them space to come in without being held up and keeping their cool is amazing. This how amazing team work can achieve the absolute safety of everyone whilst also getting the care needs to the ill co pilot. Hats off to everyone.

[@juliecasey5196]

Very cool and level headed to all involved.

[@emo_drummer_9398]

Textbook definition of great piloting in tandem with great ATC. Should be used for training.

[@tenpiloto]

Any seasoned airline captain can, unfortunately, relate a few stories about essentially being "single pilot" when there was actually someone occupying the right seat.

[@Radionut]

And that was very smooth and to the point. Do we know what happened to the copilot?

[@YouCanSeeATC]

He is ok.

[@sylviaelse5086]

The only criticism I had of the controllers was the use of the word "to" (can be confused with "two") immediately before an altitude in feet. I notice that the captain did not use the word in his read backs.

[@benwright2757]

That is standard phraseology if you’re doing things by the book - climb/descend to altitude/height x or climb/descend flight level x. The ‘to’ cannot be interpreted as a number. Pilots are generally a little sloppier in their RT😛

[@vbscript2]

@@benwright2757 That's a UK-specific thing and is not ICAO standard.

[@benwright2757]

@@vbscript2 Not that I’m aware of? ICAO guidelines state “use of the word “to” directly before a climb/descent instruction or change of heading can be confused as “two”. Such confusion is avoided by using the mandatory words “flight level” or “heading” immediately before the numbers. Although you’re right that we don’t put “to” flight level but do put it before altitude for some reason.

[@Butterfly1025A]

Just curious: why is the written name BAW59T and the spoken name Speedbird59T? I rely on captions but am not deaf, and it was a little weird reading one thing and hearing another.

[@YouCanSeeATC]

Speedbird is a callsign for British Airways. So BAW stands for Spedbird, like VOZ (Velocity) for Virgin Australia or NKS (Spirit Wings) for Spirit.

[@annedodgshun7191]

Thanks very much. So interesting 👍

[@POTThaesslich]

Would have liked to hear the onboard announcements as well. Would they give real reason for making unplanned stop?

[@oakld]

It was like, I guess "we're gonna land in 20 minutes". "Oh, I changed my mind, we'll go all the way back to London". I mean that decision is difficult to understand.

[@WilmaJonson]

Very well done video!!!

[@YouCanSeeATC]

Thank you

[@oakld]

Interesting, that I'm the only one who wonders why the pilot did not land at the closest airport (so many options available) and after passing about 3/4 of the route decided to head back over whole Europe with a very sick FO beside him. I believe some sick company rules, perhaps twisted or misunderstood were behind this decision.

[@flowablesysadmin8068]

He probably was thinking 'Greece hospital - nah... British health system - God no. Swiss - yeah, top notch!" :)

[@cascadesub6235]

well done to all involved. but very professional all round

[@MarkPentler]

*Raises eyebrows at channel and style and content* *looks at channel in other tab*

[@pameladee]

Did the copilot survive?

[@YouCanSeeATC]

According Daily Mail, yes.

[@pameladee]

@@YouCanSeeATC that’s fantastic! Thank you

[@apriliarider6072]

How do they talk so fast? Always amazes me

[@SVSky]

Practice.

[@nickrapitis4896]

I hope he is ok.

[@united1super544]

Heart attack? Or just was dehydrated as someone said in the comments

[@すどにむ]

Callsign he’s using is Speedbird 59T not BAW

[@YouCanSeeATC]

Check it here. BAW - ICAO code of British Airways en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways

[@Manc-king]

It’s just like aer lingus their call sign is EI but called shamrock

[@a24-45]

​@@YouCanSeeATC i think most viewers of aviation channels would know the call signs (or would look them up if they didn't know). But from the point of view of reading English-to-English subtitles, it's confusing to read a transliteration which doesn't match what the speaker is saying. If the speaker says "Speedbird" and the caption says "Speedbird" , it is much easier for the viewer/listener to follow the conversation. So it would be great if for future videos you would consider not replacing callsign speech with the written shorthand form e.g. "BAW". (Of course on diagrams, callsigns etc in their written shorthand form are fine, because they are not being synchronised to speech in any way. ) BTW, this video was very well presented.

[@YouCanSeeATC]

@@a24-45 Thank you.

[@jo4ka]

I dont get it they were above Croatia and decided to go to Zurich?

[@YouCanSeeATC]

They decided to go back to UK, London as I remember, over Croatia. But when they were over Switzerland they the situation has changed and they went to Zurich.

[@Patsy_Parisi]

Captain was stirred but not shaken.

[@paingberg]

does anyone know why if the Flight number is BA 680 the callsign is Speedbird 59T? has nothing to do with Flight number in this case? Saludos From Buenos Aires Argentina

[@suekamm4125]

When you absolutely, positively HAVE to know, ask a librarian! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speedbird

[@paingberg]

@@suekamm4125 i'm an archivist and a librarian Ma'am and i'm not asking about that speedbird callsign , i'm asking about flight number !

[@bedel23]

I swear that pilot is a KZbinr. Real airbus pilot does, flight simulator videos.

[@RomeoJulietCharlie]

Don’t think so. The guy I think you’re talking about isn’t using BA checklists or SOPs. (Of course we might not be talking about the same person, but the guy whose clips I saw doesn’t do things the BA way)

[@F1RacerDan]

Yes this is airbus 320 pilot, hes mentioned this in one of his streams

[@johnpinckney4979]

What happened to "Speedbird"?

[@LongdownConker]

Not sure what your asking? Speedbird is the call sign for all the British Airways fleet. Due to the bird livery they use to display on their planes. If your asking about the co-pilot, I've heard he recovered in hospital and is now out.... But I could be wrong. I hope he's fine

[@johnpinckney4979]

@@LongdownConker "Speedbird" used to be the callsign for British Airways flights and BOAC before that.

[@vbscript2]

@@johnpinckney4979 It still is the callsign for BA.

[@johnpinckney4979]

@@vbscript2 I didn't hear it in the soundtrack...

[@vbscript2]

@@johnpinckney4979 They say "Speedbird Five Nine Tango" for the callsign in the video.

[@Netbase2000]

Did the Pilot make it?

[@mamalillycat8756]

Does anyone find out if the first officer lived? What happened?

[@YouCanSeeATC]

As it was reported, he's good.

[@martinc.720]

"Before we start I want to ask you to like" - Let me watch the video, show me what you can do, and we'll see about that like and share :)

[@andreyjardim2]

3:41 QNH 1026, what is it?

[@Hellman555]

QNH is the barometric pressure to set your altimeter to so it will read the correct altitude for that region. As the air pressure constantly changes, your altimeter will not be accurate so they always get the QNH from the controller or ATIS.

[@georgeforall]

They use flight levels below 180?

[@thecotswoldflyer]

Everywhere in the world that isn't the USA and maybe Canada.

[@lagandi]

In Germany for example the transition altitude is at 5.000ft, in Austria it is at 10.000ft.

[@vbscript2]

They don't have nearly as much general aviation putting around in pistons beneath the controlled airspace as we have in the States (and Canada.)

[@thecotswoldflyer]

@@vbscript2 you're very much misinformed. GA in Europe is big but just more expensive in the most part compared to the USA. It's just different rules. The transition altitude in the UK is generally 3000ft depending on local airspace.

[@vbscript2]

@@thecotswoldflyer Sorry, but it seems to be you who is misinformed. When EPATS conducted a study in 2006, they found that in 2000 (when the EU-25 had 454 M people vs. 278 M in the U.S,) there were 36,100 GA aircraft registered in the EU-25. Compared to 214,000 in the US. It's an enormous difference.

[@sylvesterstewart868]

He ate the fish.

[@JeffreyFay]

Suspect a new regulation coming soon that at least one pilot on the flight deck must be a pure blood.

[@victorsierra4109]

Not a lot of wind but he landed downwind?

[@linanicolia1363]

If there is no wind, you can land in any direction. He was in a hurry !

[@marspp]

As noted already, 4 knots wind so well within limits for any of the runways - it’s not a large, heavy wide body so won’t use a huge amount of runway either. If you look at the airport layout on the graphic you can see that landing 14 also rolls them out to be near the terminal which saves time on the ground. That may have been a side effect rather than a positive decision by ATC, it’s not clear from the information in this video.

[@jg5103]

In Zürich the runway-in-use is dictated by political reasons (noise abatement / noise distribution) rather than by wind conditions.

[@dpm-jt8rj]

@@marspp Excellent observation. After reading your comment I looked at the map(s) and see that was perfect indeed. No waste of time on the ground.

[@victorsierra4109]

@@jg5103 oh man, that would be a Swiss thing,,, noise abatement.. Can't take a shower after 10pm... As much as I love Switzerland, and having been there multiple times, and have family there, I wouldn't trade Texas for it ever. Too much nonsense bullshit making a robotic society. I know it works and its great for y'all, just not something for people who like some more freedom.

[@colinhawes1907]

The T in the callsign tells me its a training flight.

[@aljack1979]

No it had passegers

[@RomeoJulietCharlie]

It’s the standard call sign used for that particular Athens flight every day. Flight number is BA640 and the callsign is always BAW59T. No idea what the T stands for, but it’s not training!

[@CaptBoeing737]

Back in the old days, "T" suffix was for training, "F" for ferry and "P" for positioning flights. Those days have long gone. This was a regular passenger carrying flight.

[@RomeoJulietCharlie]

@@CaptBoeing737 F is currently used for a freight/cargo flight, E for engineering ferry flights, but as a suffix to the flight number, not as part of the callsign. A flight number could be BA123F, but the callsign would likely be BAW123. As in this clip, though, the flight number is BA640 but the callsign is BAW59T. Plenty of BA callsigns have one or more letters as a suffix. For example, there’s another Athens flight with callsign BAW26AV (I’ve always assumed in this case it’s referring to “Athens Venizelos”, but who knows).

[@MrJamespcastle]

Damn, no more martini's for the flight crews, all because one FO ruined it for all of us!

[@MEGIDIOT]

US controllers are so ghetto

[@vbscript2]

Did ZRH APP replace their controllers with a computer? - lol - That sounds like a computer-generated voice. - haha

[@linanicolia1363]

COVID ?

[@cageordie]

Extremely unlikely given he was incapacitated but released from hospital after a short time.

[@vpa0]

Haha