Controller brings C208 down safety

[kerry]

Plane lands safely after possible pilot medical issue (wpbf.com)

The outcome amazes me.  Good job ATC.  I can't wait to hear the details.

[cbarry]

Very amazing! Thanks for sharing!

[A64Pilot]

Good thing they weren’t IMC

[kris_adams]

pretty amazing even to end up on a good freq and knew to hit the PTT...can't wait for more details.  Sounds like the pilot is ok (hopefully)

 

[PeteMc]

So.....    How many of you can claim that kind of FIRST LANDING?!?!?!    And obvious kudos to the Controller!!!!

I don't really remember mine being bad at all...  But then I had a guy literally sitting next to me "little more left rudder, up a bit, hold it..."

I think I see a future Mooney owner there!

 

 

Edited May 11, 2022 by PeteMc

[AH-1 Cobra Pilot]

Is nobody else skeptical of that?

I watched that on the news last night while thinking the same thing as when I saw the news report of Jesse Smollett first talking about his supposed attack, or the clown bailing out of his airplane.

[201er]

 

 

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N333LD/history/20220510/1515Z/MYAM/KPBI

[kortopates]

20 minutes ago, AH-1 Cobra Pilot said:

Is nobody else skeptical of that?

skeptical of what?

Very impressive for sure. Plus winds were reported at 50@10 Gusting to 16 with runway 10 in use.  That cross wind exceeds the limits of many pilots I know! 

[kerry]

28 minutes ago, AH-1 Cobra Pilot said:

Is nobody else skeptical of that?

I watched that on the news last night while thinking the same thing as when I saw the news report of Jesse Smollett first talking about his supposed attack, or the clown bailing out of his airplane.

It never crossed my mind. But it wouldn't surprise me now that you mentioned it.  At times the passengers radio work seemed a bit to polished for a novice.

[201er]

6 minutes ago, kortopates said:

skeptical of what?

Very impressive for sure. Plus winds were reported at 50@10 Gusting to 16 with runway 10 in use.  That cross wind exceeds the limits of many pilots I know! 

Definitely skeptical of the claim that the passenger had "zero" flight training. Perhaps someone that got 10 hours a bunch of years ago or perhaps a hoax. But, not something that goes this easily on the first try.

He even understood how to punch in a squawk code on the transponder.

Edited May 11, 2022 by 201er

[Fly Boomer]

2 minutes ago, kerry said:

passengers radio work seemed a bit to polished

I especially liked the "10-4".  But I get your point.  "Altitude descending through xxxx feet."

[ilovecornfields]

I showed my son this story. He wasn’t impressed. He said “what’s the big deal, I thought you said those were like a big 172. I landed one of those when I was 8.”

I pointed out to him that I was there when he “landed the 172” and it was more of a controlled crash. Unfazed, he replied “I doubt this one was a greaser either.”

I’m really going to enjoy parenting a teenager.

[aviatoreb]

I wonder if the GFC500 engine out glide feature could be coaxed to be useful in a situation like this?  Can that feature only be activated if the engine is out or can it become helpful for your pinch hitter not-pilot co-pilot?  I know it wants to pitch your plane to best glide which won't work with cruise power, but I wonder what it would do with just enough power ?

[Bolter]

51 minutes ago, 201er said:

Definitely skeptical of the claim that the passenger had "zero" flight training. Perhaps someone that got 10 hours a bunch of years ago or perhaps a hoax. But, not something that goes this easily on the first try.

He even understood how to punch in a squawk code on the transponder.

I agree he sounds a too familiar with radio work and some of the terms.  In the Live ATC recording, the passenger does not say he has zero experience, does he?  The news article states it, perhaps because the tower controller said it was a passenger with zero experience.  The tower controller was probably not in the calls, as approach managed the entire thing.  If/when the name is released, we may learn more.  

[PMcClure]

Something is fishy here. I have handed the controls of the Mooney to several newbies and never could they control heading  or altitude much less a controlled decent managing power settings.  And rarely will a Pax know anything about transponders or radios.  And considering the weather, even a student pilot would have some difficulty landing.

[N201MKTurbo]

1 minute ago, PMcClure said:

Something is fishy here. I have handed the controls of the Mooney to several newbies and never could they control heading  or altitude much less a controlled decent managing power settings.  And rarely will a Pax know anything about transponders or radios.  And considering the weather, even a student pilot would have some difficulty landing.

I have known certified pilots that can't hold a heading and altitude. I have had passengers with no flying experience and 10 seconds of instruction that have been able to hold heading and altitude like an airline pilot. There are three that I can think of in the last 40 years.  

[PMcClure]

12 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

I have known certified pilots that can't hold a heading and altitude. I have had passengers with no flying experience and 10 seconds of instruction that have been able to hold heading and altitude like an airline pilot. There are three that I can think of in the last 40 years.  

No doubt, but I don’t even hear 10 seconds of instructions. 2 seconds in and he is turning and descending at 550 fpm. Hope I am wrong but sounds like a stunt to me. 

Edited May 11, 2022 by PMcClure

[aviatoreb]

Not to call it entirely fishy and we are all a bit high on suspicion for good reason following the illustrious antics of Trevor Jacob YouTuber airplane destroyer former pilot certificate holder....

My wife had a pinch hitter course.  I could imagine her sounding and acting like the co-pilot not pilot in this thread...just saying...and thinking the best of people.

[N201MKTurbo]

25 minutes ago, PMcClure said:

No doubt, but I don’t even hear 10 seconds of instructions. 2 seconds in and he is turning and descending at 550 fpm. Hope I am wrong but sounds like a stunt to me. 

If it was a stunt, The pilot will lose his license, but what can they do to someone without a license? They rarely level a monetary civil penalty.

I guess the city and airlines could sue them for all the money they lost.

If it were a stunt, wouldn't you expect at least a cell phone movie of the event?

Edited May 11, 2022 by N201MKTurbo

[PMcClure]

Let’s hope i am wrong. I would like to believe the best in people but there seems more to the story here. 

[LANCECASPER]

I didn't wanna mention it yesterday but it seemed a little too good to be true.

[skydvrboy]

1 hour ago, ilovecornfields said:

I showed my son this story. He wasn’t impressed. He said “what’s the big deal, I thought you said those were like a big 172. I landed one of those when I was 8.”

I pointed out to him that I was there when he “landed the 172” and it was more of a controlled crash. Unfazed, he replied “I doubt this one was a greaser either.”

I’m really going to enjoy parenting a teenager.

When I saw this I wondered if any of my regular passengers could do the same.  I think my son could, but I doubt anyone else I regularly fly with could.  He’s just very observant and curious when we fly together so he knows what all the instruments are and how to read them. I often turn the controls over to him when I need to divert my attention and he can maintain heading, altitude, and turns and altitude changes are appear mastered. I also let him change frequencies when he was younger, but he got bored with that and won’t do it now unless I really need the help.

 Obviously the passenger in question is very familiar with the plane. He refers to the pilot as “my pilot” so perhaps he even owns the plane. I think this guy is most likely similar to my son. Flies often, knows the plane and most procedures, but is not a pilot and has never had a true lesson by an actual flight instructor. Maybe one day we’ll know, maybe not.

[skydvrboy]

39 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

I have known certified pilots that can't hold a heading and altitude. I have had passengers with no flying experience and 10 seconds of instruction that have been able to hold heading and altitude like an airline pilot. There are three that I can think of in the last 40 years.  

I had a young eagle like that once.  He asked if he could fly and I let him. He was about seven years old and held altitude +\-50 feet and heading +/-5* for about ten minutes and through two 90* turns.  When back on the ground I told him how impressed I was and he just shrugged and said he plays a lot of flying video games.

 Is it possible the passenger was a flight sim junkie?

[aviatoreb]

6 minutes ago, skydvrboy said:

I had a young eagle like that once.  He asked if he could fly and I let him. He was about seven years old and held altitude +\-50 feet and heading +/-5* for about ten minutes and through two 90* turns.  When back on the ground I told him how impressed I was and he just shrugged and said he plays a lot of flying video games.

 Is it possible the passenger was a flight sim junkie?

You know as I read this story of yours, and thinking about what a seven year old looks like - I bet he was short - too short to look out the windscreen and if so I bet he was flying entirely on instruments!  All the more impressive.

[Fly Boomer]

10 minutes ago, skydvrboy said:

 Is it possible the passenger was a flight sim junkie?

That's a real possibility.  I (peripherally) knew a freshly certified pilot who had an astounding number of hours in some kind of home simulator before and during his PPL training.  After training in a 172, as soon as he got his license, he jumped into a 206 with no transition training or check-ride, and didn't bend anything.  I think he was able to seamlessly jump from one airplane to another, much heavier, airplane was because everything he had flown using the simulator, as well as the 172, was flown by the numbers.  When I got my license, it was more of a seat-of-the-pants affair, and moving to a heavier airplane seemed like a lot of work.