Continental Captain Dies Enroute To Newark

[The Other Kind]

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/trans ... 2408.story

My first thought was get the bird on the ground ASAP to get some medical help, I suppose that's not an option if he/she died well out over the Atlantic though.

God Speed Captain.

[flyinthebug]

I just watched the report on WPIX.. apparently the Capt passed away and the F/O with the assistance of a 2nd company F/O that was onboard.. did a great job and got it down safely.

Job well done!!

My condolences to the family and friends of the Skipper.

Fly safe all.

[~Hollywood~]

Wow those American news station really blew the landing out of proportion. Ya sure the Captain died (RIP) but they make it seem like the Captain is the only person capable of landing the airplane. Oh no, one of the two first officers has to land the plane!

[learcapt]

Now the debate (wrongly) will begin again about the age 60 rule. Captain was apparently 61.

[flyinthebug]

Wow those American news station really blew the landing out of proportion. Ya sure the Captain died (RIP) but they make it seem like the Captain is the only person capable of landing the airplane. Oh no, one of the two first officers has to land the plane!

I agree with you Hollywood..BUT.. Im sure the FO was a bit concerned at very least when his skipper was sitting there dead. If it was so simple, why did he request help from the back?..Im sure MOST F/O`s are competent and very capable of flying their bird alone.. BUT if you remember back a few years to the 757 enroute to LAX from Brazil.. The skipper passed away enroute and the F/O was green and he had ATC get a 757 Capt to the tower to "talk him through it"..

Yes the media is outrageous many times.. and they did play up this situation far too much already.. BUT the F/O `s did a GOOD job to bring her home safe! You gotta remember it could have been the F/O`s 2nd day online.. or maybe he had 15 yrs experience.. we will find out im sure.. but the guys did a great job!

And yes, this will definately reignite the age 60 rule debate!
Again, my condolences to the Skipper and his family.

Fly safe all.

[Widow]

I would think it would be somewhat disconcerting, to say the least, for the F/O to have seen his/her Captain pass away. Having someone else to help, in case nerves were shot, may well have prevented a less fortunate outcome.

My condolences to all affected.

[~Hollywood~]

I agree with you Hollywood..BUT.. Im sure the FO was a bit concerned at very least when his skipper was sitting there dead. If it was so simple, why did he request help from the back?..Im sure MOST F/O`s are competent and very capable of flying their bird alone.. BUT if you remember back a few years to the 757 enroute to LAX from Brazil.. The skipper passed away enroute and the F/O was green and he had ATC get a 757 Capt to the tower to "talk him through it"..

Yes the media is outrageous many times.. and they did play up this situation far too much already.. BUT the F/O `s did a GOOD job to bring her home safe! You gotta remember it could have been the F/O`s 2nd day online.. or maybe he had 15 yrs experience.. we will find out im sure.. but the guys did a great job!

And yes, this will definately reignite the age 60 rule debate!
Again, my condolences to the Skipper and his family.

Fly safe all.

Ya I'm not saying it was not a traumatizing experience for the crew, they did a great job and my hat goes off for them. All I'm saying is that the media, like usual, made it seem like it was unusual that one of the F/O's had to land the plane. There were 2 qualified and competent crew members on board to land the plane, and I'm sure both had years of experience with the company to be flying the 777 and at least one of them probably has enough seniority to hold Captain on another piece of equipment. It was unfortunate that the flight started with 3 qualified crew members and finished with 2, but you have to believe that at no point was safety ever compromised. It was fortunate that there was a relief pilot on board to get through the ordeal, unlike the LAX flight to Brazil that you are mentioning. Great job to the crew again, and your right, this will probably raise the issue of last years retirement age increase to 65.

[Flying Low]

I agree with you Hollywood..BUT.. Im sure the FO was a bit concerned at very least when his skipper was sitting there dead. If it was so simple, why did he request help from the back?..Im sure MOST F/O`s are competent and very capable of flying their bird alone.. BUT if you remember back a few years to the 757 enroute to LAX from Brazil.. The skipper passed away enroute and the F/O was green and he had ATC get a 757 Capt to the tower to "talk him through it"..

Whether or not it is simple isn't the question. Why not get all the help you can? If there is another crew member in the back (Capt, F/O, or even F/A) why not get them up front if only to read the checklist?

[ditar]

The media's treatement of stories like this always makes me realize how much I hate the terms 'pilot' and 'co-pilot'. The average person thinks that co-pilots are not real pilots. On more than one occasion when I've mentioned to someone that I was a co-pilot of such and such aircraft they've responded with "so you're not a pilot then?" or "so you're just a co-pilot?" It was then that I stopped using that term myself, because I think it perpetuates a false idea that the captain does everything and the co-pilot is just there for show (I'm sure this is the case sometimes ) Yes, the public is generally ignorant of aviation, just as I'm ignorant of other fields far removed from my daily life. I try to educate people when I'm asked. But I wish the media would use terms like 'captain' and 'first officer'. To me anyway, those sound more dignified.

[MrWings]

So does the F/O get Captain's pay for that leg and an automatic upgrade?

[YHZChick]

watching the landing, I think it would have been an autoland, no?

(Which is not to say it is not disconcerting to have your skipper die in the left seat, but certainly the guy who landed the Big King in FL a few months ago (PPL, but no twin experience) was a far bigger deal).

Mr. Wings: He certainly moved up the seniority ladder by one rung....

[200hr Wonder]

Am I the only one morbid enough to think that as the F/O I would be checking the time the Capt. keeled over so as to log the PIC time? I know morbid.

[MUSKEG]

I am sure they would have pulled him out of the seat taken him out of the cockpit. As disconcerting as that would have been, the job at hand would cause one to be able to prioritise and get the job done. Sitting there and wringing your hands is not what we are trained to do. It's kind of like hearing and watching a patient die on a medivac, you do your job and the medics do theirs. I imagine the F/O learned alot about himself and his abilities during the rest of the flight. That is why I washed out weak or lifer F/O's. If that's all they will ever be it's time to move on because you will spend time babysitting them when there are more important things to do.

[square]

Of course he brought the relief pilot in. This one's a nobrainer no? It's a transport category aircraft, and quite illegal to fly them single-pilot.

[MrWings]

Are you saying if there was no relief pilot that it would be illegal to fly the aircraft after the Captain died?

"Nice landing, son. But we have to fine you for flying single pilot."

[iflyforpie]

Of course he brought the relief pilot in. This one's a nobrainer no? It's a transport category aircraft, and quite illegal to fly them single-pilot.

I guess if that happened on a plane doing a short hop like a Dash 8 or 737 with no relief crew onboard; they would have to put the plane in 'Park' and wait for a replacement pilot to board the aircraft...

[loopa]

What cracks me up is that John Cox "mr former airline pilot" stated that pilot's go through "rigorous and strict medical attention every 6 months."

First of all, the FAA 6 month medical cycle that guy spoke of is not as rigorous and strict as he makes it seem. Airline medicals? A different story. But the airline medical is normally done initially and from what I understand it's simply your FAA/TC related medical that keeps your flying privilege valid for an airline.

If the captain was healthy on the day of the medical, which he must have been as he still held his flying privilege, then he passed it.


I wonder if this incident is going to revert the retirement age back to 60; the change wasn't too long ago.


And at Square's comment ... lol

I think what he meant was that it would be illegal to fly the airplane single-pilot given that there was a second crew member on board?

[SkyWolfe]

Now the debate (wrongly) will begin again about the age 60 rule. Captain was apparently 61.

Exactly what came to my mind. Kinda scary.

I think this is another bad blow for Continental.

[square]

I guess if that happened on a plane doing a short hop like a Dash 8 or 737 with no relief crew onboard; they would have to put the plane in 'Park' and wait for a replacement pilot to board the aircraft...

Yup, cause that's the same thing

So if you have two pilots on board it'd be okay for just one to fly the whole leg & approach, while the other guy sleeps in the back?

[iflyforpie]

It's a transport category aircraft, and quite illegal to fly them single-pilot.

It's illegal to dispatch them single pilot. Just like it's illegal to dispatch them with an inoperative engine (although some can be ferried with one).

Sure, use all the resources you can, but don't call it illegal--even if the other pilot doesn't come up to the front for one reason or another.

[A2G]

I wonder if they moved him, and if yes where did they put him? The lav? I know I wouldn't be able to concentrate with a dead body sitting next to me!!

[iflyforpie]

I wonder if they moved him, and if yes where did they put him? The lav? I know I wouldn't be able to concentrate with a dead body sitting next to me!!

He went to the crew rest bunk.

[CanadianEh]

Am I the only one morbid enough to think that as the F/O I would be checking the time the Capt. keeled over so as to log the PIC time? I know morbid.

Omg, that's too funny

All kidding aside, my deepest sympathies to the family and those affected.

[square]

Sure, use all the resources you can, but don't call it illegal--even if the other pilot doesn't come up to the front for one reason or another.

lol you've got to be kidding me. What do you think the tribunal would say if he told them he left the relief pilot in the back so he could save the day all by himself?

[roger.roger]

lol you've got to be kidding me. What do you think the tribunal would say if he told them he left the relief pilot in the back so he could save the day all by himself?

"That's right Iceman, I am dangerous" ?