Stewardess Helped Land Air Canada Plane

After Co-Pilot Had A Midair Mental Breakdown Over The Atlantic, Flight Attendant Took Over

(AP)  An Air Canada co-pilot having a mental breakdown had to be forcibly removed from the cockpit, restrained and sedated, and a stewardess with flying experience helped the pilot safely make an emergency landing, an Irish investigation concluded Wednesday.

The report by the Irish Air Accident Investigation Unit into an incident in January applauded the decision-making of the pilot and the cockpit skills of the flight attendant, who stepped into the co-pilot's seat for the emergency diversion to Shannon Airport in western Ireland.

None of the 146 passengers or other nine crew members on board the Boeing 767 bound from Toronto to London was injured after the 58-year-old co-pilot had to be removed by attendants and sedated by two doctors on board.

The report did not identify any of the Air Canada crew by name. Nor did it specify the psychiatric diagnosis for the co-pilot, who was hospitalized for 11 days in Irish mental wards before being flown by air ambulance back to Canada.

It said the co-pilot was a licensed veteran with more than 6,500 hours' flying time, about half on board Boeing 767s, and had recently passed a medical examination.

But it said the pilot noticed immediately that his co-pilot was not in good professional shape on the day of the flight, arriving late to the cockpit after all the safety checks and paperwork had been completed. He reported that the co-pilot's behavior worsened once they were airborne, and the co-pilot advised him to take a lengthy break for naps and a meal.

As the aircraft reached the middle of the Atlantic, the report said, the co-pilot began talking in a "rambling and disjointed" manner, took another nap, and then refused to buckle his seat belt or observe other safety procedures when he returned to the cockpit.

The pilot concluded that his colleague was now so "belligerent and uncooperative" that he couldn't do his job.

The report said the pilot summoned several flight attendants to remove the co-pilot from the cockpit, and one flight attendant suffered an injured wrist in the struggle. Doctors from Britain and Canada on board determined that the co-pilot was confused and disoriented.

The report did not mention how the co-pilot was restrained. Departing passengers at the time said his arms and legs had been tied up to keep him under control.

The pilot then asked flight attendants to find out if any passenger was a qualified pilot. When none was found, one stewardess admitted she held a current commercial pilot's license but said her license for reading cockpit instruments had expired.

"The flight attendant provided useful assistance to the commander, who remarked in a statement to the investigation that she was 'not out of place' while occupying the right-hand seat," the report said.

[earache4]

"There''s trouble in the cockpit."

"The cockpit, what is it?"

"It''s the small room on the front of the airplane where the pilot sits, but that''s not important now..."

[newsjunky5]

At last we can see the lack of wisdom in the locking cockpit door.

[earache4]

You don''t have to be crazy to fly Air Canada.....but it helps.....

[besscannon-2009]

Those passengers should be grateful she had the smarts and the grit to do what she did. That co-pilot that went off the deep end could not have had a very thorough examination. He couldn''t have cracked up that fast. Somebody fell down on their responsibilities when examining him.

[swingset4u]

Good Job F/A!!

[opedanderson]

Ahhhhh......Air Canada.....the pride and joy of all Canadians!

[newview08]

I say promote her to the left seat for good. The co-pilot should be serving peanuts after endangering people''s lives.

[us_1776]

"... said her license for reading cockpit instruments had expired." I think this translates to: she had a commercial VFR license but her IFR rating was not current. IFR=Instrument Flight Rules

[treknutz]

I say promote her to the left seat for good. The co-pilot should be serving peanuts after endangering people''''s lives.


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Posted by newview08

You mean the right seat! The left seat is the Pilot''s

[treknutz]

There are several conditions that can cause this type of breakdown and one was even the subjest of the second or third origonal episode of CSI. I hope he is OK, a man with 6500 hours didn''t get there by failing fit reps. As for the FA, she needs some sim time and she''ll be the most requested back up on any AC flight....good for her!

[treknutz]

There''''s trouble in the cockpit."

"The cockpit, what is it?"

"It''''s the small room on the front of the airplane where the pilot sits, but that''''s not important now..."


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Posted by earache4

Looks like I picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue!

[pete_in_az]

There''''''''s trouble in the cockpit."

"The cockpit, what is it?"

"It''''''''s the small room on the front of the airplane where the pilot sits, but that''''''''s not important now..."


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Posted by earache4

Looks like I picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue!


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Posted by treknutz


looks like i picked the wrong day to quit heroin.

[dewbug2]

If these guys continue to show up for work sober, they deserve to be grounded!!!

[briannorwood]

Picked a bad day to give up smoking! (Airplane!)

[merlgrey]

What was it we had for dinner tonight?

Well, we had a choice: steak or fish.

Yes, yes, I remember, I had lasagna.

[emmonnier]

to davidjones11;
I second those words... big KUDOS to the lady

[lewiston14]

Yes well done. Alot of people should be sending thank you cards to you and the pilot. Then CA should be sending you to full flight training school. You earned it. Yes you might spend some time in the right seat but that does not mean you will not be doing takeoff and landings. How else could you learn unless you do it. For everything there is a first time.

[easeup-2009]

The co-pilot was quoted as saying:

"LISTEN KID. I''ve been hearing that *** ever since I was at UCLA. I''m out there busting my buns every night. Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes."

[uscitizenvet]

Did the co-pilot suddenly decide to have a nervous break-down? Probably not on the spur of the moment. Surely there had to be someones knowledge of his emotional condition and he should not have been co-piloting anyway. KUDO''s to the captain and stewardess.

[feedback3-2009]

Stewardess?! When did this happen, 1962? Was she wearing a plastic mini-skirt and go-go boots?

[credibility2]

Something this commendable and heroic should not have been kept under wraps for this long. Was the airline that fearful of possible public outrage over the behavior of the co-pilot? Exactly who were they protecting? If anything, the Canadian government should award this person their highest civilian award, if they haven''t already done so. I hope the flight attendant successfully completes all flying requirements and gets huge promotion with commensurate salary increase. Way to go!

[dbstevens]

Based on things I''ve heard from a pilot friend of mine, it is likely that this co-pilot had been either partying too much the night before, or was on some sort of drugs. Their schedules are crazy and many of them resort to drugs to keep them alert, etc. Chances are that this copilot took something just before reporting to work, intending to stimulate him or keep him alert, but that he either overdosed or had too much in his system and it freaked him out. This is very bad...these pilots shouldn''t have to have such long shifts and abnormal, varying hours.

Kudos to this stewardess!!!! Comments like the one about her "miniskirt" are just plain stupid.... this woman is obviously someone with a lot of ambition and guts. Imagine a flight attendant with a commercial license...good for her!!!!!

[missouri-dad]

If she can pass her VFR quals, Air Canada should pay for her additional flight training and promote her to co-pilot

[montanaman9]

"one stewardess admitted she held a current commercial pilot''s license but said her license for reading cockpit instruments had expired."

This sounds to me that her IFR cert expired. IFR are the flight rules on every commercial airline flight. Well done to the stewardess!

[montanaman9]

And to just inform everyone out there about the stewardess'' commercial license, it is an advanced license that all airline pilots have, she''s not a beginner. With an IFR endorsement, she CAN get a job in the right seat...

[newsjunky5]

"Kudos to this stewardess!!!! Comments like the one about her "miniskirt" are just plain stupid...."
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You missed their irony. They no longer call them a "stewardess" at least in the U.S. They are now termed with the asexual, "flight attendant"

[mswolfestock]

Truly, they must all have nerves of steel . . . . . and that is what got them through this.

God Bless the whole flight crew.

[rrozsa-2009]

Can you imagine being one of the passengers in the aircraft when the voice over the loudspeaker says "is there a pilot on board?" OMG

[questionnews]

"LISTEN KID. I''''ve been hearing that *** ever since I was at UCLA. I''''m out there busting my buns every night. Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes."

Posted by easeup at 12:33 PM : Nov 20, 2008


"Tell me Billy. Do you like gladiator movies??"

[aslterpfl]

Yeah Kudos to her but I think the comment about the miniskirt was not meant to insult her but rather a commentary on the fact that the term stewardess is out-dated and the new P.C. term is Flight Attendant. :)

[treknutz]

What about the inflatable "auto pilot??"


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Posted by KristianInAL

Don''t you mean OTTO Pilot?

[eggy1620]

Were the passengers lined up in front of the copilot with bats, clubs, tire irons, and guns?

%u201CCalm down, get a hold of yourself!%u201D SMACK!