Second in charge: Patti DeLuna helped land an American Airlines plane after a co-pilot fell ill
A flight attendant stepped in to help land a passenger plane after a pilot became ill.
Patti DeLuna has her pilot's licence but last flew more than 20 years ago - and even then it was a light aircraft.
But she voluteered without a second thought after the first officer of an American Airlines flight to Chicago developed flu-like symptoms.
When Captain Jim Hunter deemed his co-pilot to ill to fly, and realised no off-duty pilots were on board, he called on Mrs DeLuna to help land the Boeing 767.
She kept her cool and the plane, carrying 225 passengers and seven crew members, landed safely at O'Hare International Airport at 4.24pm on Monday.
Despite the feat, Mrs DeLuna said she 'didn't feel like a hero.'
'This was not heroic by any means. I was just trying to be part of a team,' the 61-year-old said.
'I was the best available (back-up pilot) they had on the plane,' DeLuna told the Chicago Tribune. 'I spent a lot of time in the cockpit looking at the flight deck panel and asking questions. My first question to the captain was, "Where are the brakes?"
Asked about the moment she was chosen, Mrs DeLuna said: 'That doesn’t mean I’m a hot shot pilot, it only means I was the best they had — I was the best candidate for the job at the time.
'I felt terrible for the first officer,' she went on. 'But I was so excited. It was way more fun than serving meals from the galley.'
Happy ending: American Airlines said the incident was handled well by staff (file photo)
Success story: The American Airlines flight was landed without incident at O'Hare International Airport, pictured, thanks to Mrs DeLuna's help
'I was thinking about survival. I was thinking about getting it down the best I could. I don’t feel like a hero. When you work on an airplane, you work as a team. You do whatever you can do to help.'
The flight attendant, from California, received a commercial pilot's license in 1970 and has logged about 300 flight hours on a Cessna, according to American Airlines spokeswoman Andrea Huguely.
She said Captain Hunter was 'exemplary' and 'so collected and so together.'
'He did everything by himself pretty much,' she said. 'I watched for traffic and listened for information from air traffic control just as a backup for him.'
An American Airlines man said the ill pilot was treated at a local hospital and released. His condition was not serious.
'The entire incident was handled very well on all accounts,' said American Airlines spokesman Tim Wagner.
Mrs DeLuna said she was thrilled to be back in the cockpit.
'The view is much better,' she said.
'It's exciting and it's fun and this was a real opportunity for me.'
No announcement was made to the passengers about the change of pilots, DeLuna said. The plane landed normally.
One pilot is fully capable of flying a 767. The plane is equipped with an array of computers which means it can fly and even land by itself.
FOR the past five years, the story of Malaysia Airlines has largely been about turning in better profits and coming out with an effective business plan. These days, that is no longer the case. In fact, the airline is on an expansion path both in terms of raising frequency of flights to existing routes as well as offering new routes.
This growth phase, which comes on the back of its two business turnaround plans and two global economic crises, will be powered by 56 new aircraft that will change the capacity as well as the range of the airline.
MAS chief executive office and managing director Tengku Azmil Zaharuddin, speaking on the sidelines of the International Air Transport Association AGM in Berlin, says the new aircraft are from firm orders of three type of aircraft including the delayed A380 (six units).
The other two are the new generation Boeing 737-800 (35 units) and the new variant Airbus A330-300 (15 units). This will bring the total number of aircraft in MAS’ fleet to over 100 and not include the option of 20 B737-800 and 10 A330-300 that it could exercise in the next five years. By 2015, the MAS fleet will total more than 110 aircraft excluding the options to obtain more.
“This year will mark the start of our growth programme that will be facilitated by the arrival of all the new aircraft over the next five years. By then, we will have the youngest fleet in the region if not the world. The average age of our planes would be 5.2 years compared to 11.6 years at present,” he adds.
Having a younger fleet, says Azmil, has several advantages – it’s operationally more efficient as new aircraft are built to handle faster turnaround and more frequency; more cost effective as MAS, for the first time, is buying the bulk of its fleet at one go, allowing for longer planning period; better fuel efficiency as the new generation aircraft from the A380 to the B737-800 are reported to be relatively more fuel efficient by 25%-40%; and cost less to maintain as they are within the warranty period and tend to break down less.
In addition, the purchase of the B737-800 has added another dimension to the MAS fleet which will have a much longer range by some 1,400km or a total range of over 5,600km “flying on a full tank.” The 737-800 seats 162 passengers in a two-class layout, or 189 in one class, and competes with the A320.
“With the longer range, our 737 new generation single-aisle jet can take over the role that we now assign to our A330-300s.
“North Asia – China, the Korean peninsula, Japan and India – can now be served by a narrow body aircraft. This means we can look at new routes in these destinations as previously we had to use a bigger A330 to serve them,” says the MAS boss.
It is not easy to fill up a wide-body A330-300, which carries about 250 passengers, but the B737-800 will make it more attractive for MAS to explore new routes.
Azmil admits that the B737-800 makes destinations like Xian, Dakka, Cheju Island and every city in Japan a possibility.
“We will first relook all the destinations which we have rights to but have either given up or never flew to and then move towards other places. But I must admit, China and India look very attractive with the new generation 737s.
“It does not matter if the traffic is seasonal or if it picks up suddenly as the new generation aircraft allows us to increase the frequency. We can fly two or even three times a day to a new destination if traffic volume justifies it. Having such a schedule may be an attraction in itself to travellers,” he adds.
The new generation A330-300 is a longer version of the present models and are made up of modern material, hence they are lighter and more fuel efficient. These aircraft, like the B737-800, also have longer range.
“The new A330-300 will replace the way we use of B777 now. It can serve North Africa, the Middle East, whole of Asia and Australia. With about 250 passengers, we will be able to mount more frequency and be able to turn it around faster,” he says.
As for the A380, MAS will use it like all its regional counterparts. The giant in the sky will be for non-stop long haul routes with high traffic. With a capacity of 500 travellers, there are only so many destinations MAS can fly with the A380 but it ultimately depends on how the airline configures the aircraft.
Azmil also reveals that MAS is looking to introduce the premium economy class on all its aircraft to attract economy-class travellers looking for improved comfort.
“We also want to attract those who had ‘downgraded’ themselves from business class to economy.”
Will the national carrier own all the aircraft? No, says Azmil. “We will not own all the planes. We are looking at the one-third, two-third policy – either own two-third of the new aircraft and lease one-third or vice versa.
“PMB (Penerbangan Malaysia Bhd) will have the first right of refusal for to the lessor but we have others waiting in the wings. The exact formula will depend on the various economic situation,” he adds.
Based on 2008 price catalogues for aircraft, a new A330-300 can cost between US$195.9mil and US$205.7mil while a B737-300 would cost in the range of US$72.5mil to US$81mil. Meanwhile, an A380 costs between US$317mil and US$337.5mil but it could cost MAS a lot less given the delayed compensation.
Lots of pilot wanna be (Malaysian)... especially those school leavers are showing concern for some academic questions.
"I don't take any physic subject during school time. Can i still be a pilot?"
My answer to you is.. "O yea~! Why not?!"
"I only have SPM result. Am i qualified to be a pilot?"
My answer to you still is.. "If you're keen for it, why not?!"
Well, science is a general subject. Science during the school time divides into Physic, Chemistry and Biology. This "P" , "B" and "C" are still belong to science subject. Just that Science is general while that 3 are more detail.
In Malaysia, NOW, the system is mentioning... as long as you got CREDIT for it. I've seen many people who are from art stream, they still got the approval letter from DCA to pursing their piloting course. And those art stream students who already graduated from Academy, they're doing fine. So , WHY NOT?
Personal experience: Myself was a pure science (physic, chemistry and biology) student and thereafter a physic-chemistry student. Learning the subject initially in Malaysia language and later on in English. The notice i found is Physic does help you to understand in more detail for part of the aviation subjects. Learning it in English, make you catch up certain terminologies faster as well(because you've used to it). Compare with a general science student, I only can comment, although those general science students they know in a very general// surface stuffs compare with pure science students, but when they've the strong determination/spirit with them, FUYOH~~~ Don't underestimate them! Their willingness can anytime surpass a physic student. If the general science student can't overtake the physic student, at least, both will be about the same level, be able to compete with each other. Therefore, there's no way for saying because the SPM subject of yours was just general science, so you've no confidence//you're not qualified to be a pilot. That's applied to you're a SPM student while others are STPM/matric./degree/master/prof. ^^
For a private student, YES! You still can get your approval from DCA to pursuing your dream. But to be sponsored by the airlines, Erm... this is a bit tough. I haven't seen anyone got it without any pure science subject. (Probably have, but just I.. i mean me only, don't have//never see any buddy get it). Normally the airlines in Malaysia will state either you have a B4 //A2 in that subject. Well, don't get too depressed. Give it a try, try never bring any harm. :)
Anyway, that's just for pure science and general science. If you be able to join it as a private, there's always no such thing as... : you're a pure science student, you're smarter. OR you hold a degree while i'm just a SPM student, my study surely can't compete with your level.
For the above 2 statements, I can only say, it all depends. Who's determination is stronger? Who starts to get slacked off? Who is more keen? Who...?
In Mandarin, a proverb say "人比人，气死人". (human competes with human, at the end one may die in such competition). It's used to describe when 2 buddies are competing, 1 of the buddies will definitely keep getting unhappy, depressed, angry, and etc. just because he/she has lost in the competition and because he/she would like to win the competition in whatever way he/she owns. At the end, he/she may win the competition but he/she may die in his/her inner exhausted. Worth it? If it's a positive competition, hell yea..Go for it! If it's a negative competition from the inner self of you, Stop it man! Don't hurt yourself and just do the best for your part/what you're supposed to do.
An instructor said to me before, If you never choose to trust your own ability, how the hell are you going to expect people can trust on your capability in doing it? The simplest example to give... your sponsor may not dare to give you such a lump sum if you don't have the capability in achieving it.
If you're a SPM student while they're degree/master holder (provided you're really keen to be a pilot), go for it! There's nothing to fear with. If your English language isn't good enough compare with others (provided you're really keen to be a pilot), go for it! From time to time, you will learn. Don't feel upset and down for yourself with your own qualification. Just do the best of yours and you will still be able to create your own path one day!
**No offense to those other than SPM holders ya. :)
This post is created when I was talking to a person who're sad for his academic result. It also reminds me some of my friends by talking , they wish to be a pilot but then telling me they're afraid with their English speaking, science knowledge and etc. At the end they chose to give up in joining this aviation field instead of this aviation field give up on them. =(
If you be able to let go of your dream, I can't comment much. That's your decision.
I only know I'm the type of, If it's my dream, I will do my best to make my dream comes true and make my dream be recognized by the people whom I wanted to. If it's hard for me to achieve it, I'll keep striking hard on it till i make it. No matter how, there's no way for me to let go my dream and ask me to keep my dream forever as a dream. Bring the dream to reality and stay with it. That's what I can describe part of my character.
Few days back I went for a small gathering. It comes to my concern of...
"Are you sure that a person who wears spec. can become a pilot?"
This question has actually been many aspiring pilots' worry.
Well, I'm not so sure about the PAST. What I know is PRESENT.
A pilot can wear a spec.. I remember those days when I was having no clues about how to become a pilot, it's one of my worries as well. I'm not a perfect fellow. I do have short sighted. Though power is less than 150. That time I was doubted. Shall I wear the spec. to correct back my vision ? Shall I do LASIK to get back the perfect vision? Shall I just leave it like that? Though my power for both eyes aren't that high. But it did make me worried before for... what if I need to wear spec.? Will they fail me because i'm wearing the spec.? Will they fail me because i don't have a perfect eyesight? All these questions came to my brain and kept wondered round and round.
Well, If YOU, A PILOT WANNA BE, facing the same like me, then i can say...STOP Worrying for it.
Aviation has aviation law. For the safety purpose, we need to meet it fundamental requirements. You can basically get the info. from AIC to understand what will be checked during medical check up, what's the min. requirement, where to do the check up,... & etc.
Back to the topic. For eyesight, VISUAL ACUITY class 1: AT LEAST 6/9 IN EACH EYE SEPARATELY, & 6/6 WITH OR WITHOUT CORRECTION WITH BOTH EYES. class 2: AT LEAST 6/1 2 IN EACH EYE SEPARATELY, & 6/9 WITH OR WITHOUT CORRECTION WITH BOTH EYES. class3: AT LEAST 6/9 IN EACH EYE SEPARATELY, & 6/6 WITH OR WITHOUT CORRECTION WITH BOTH EYES
Wondering what is "visual acuity" , what is "6/9" , "6/6"...? Here is the link for you to understand it.
In short, you can still be a pilot as long as after you correcting your vision with spec., your vision acuity can back to 6/6. It's just like a person who has short sighted, thereafter wearing a spec., he/she can see the wording/objects clearly. As simple as that.
If you're still worried your eyes power are too high, you may consider to do LASIK or contact aviation panel doctor about this. This is the panel doctor that i did my medical check up. If you need the whole list of the panel doctors in Malaysia which suit your location, email to me and i will send it to you.
DR.KEEPENGLEONG DRS. YOUNG, NEWTON & PARTNERS 48, JALAN 52/4 46200 PETALINGJAYA SELANGOR 03-79569400 (Tel) 03-79562553 (Fax)
number of aircraft near-misses in US skies is making civilian aviation authorities increasingly …
by Jean-Louis Santini Jean-louis Santini – Sat May 29, 10:39 am ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The growing number of aircraft near-misses in US skies is making civilian aviation authorities increasingly concerned and has prompted them to reexamine air traffic control procedures.
"Over the last weeks there have been a number of instances where separation was lost between aircraft and in some cases there was a bit of a delay of notification that obviously caused some concern," Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford told AFP.
He said that all these incidents, the latest of which occurred just on May 21, remain under investigation.
"Anytime you lose the required separation between aircraft, it's unacceptable, and we work to figure out what happen and what we can do to prevent similar ones," Lunsford pointed out.
More than half a dozen extreme near-misses have been reported by the FAA over the past two months, prompting the National Transportation Safety Board to launch an inquiry.
On Friday, the NTSB reported that an Airbus A319 passenger jet and a Boeing 747-400 cargo plane had been involved in an incident over Alaska a week ago.
The board said the Airbus, US Airways Flight 140, was carrying 138 passengers and crew and the cargo plane a crew of two when they "came within an estimated 100 feet (30 meters) vertically and a .33-mile (530-meter) lateral separation."
The May 21 incident occurred at night near Anchorage International Airport as the cargo plane took off for Chicago and the US Airways flight was coming in for a landing from Phoenix, Arizona, the NTSB said in a statement.
The Airbus pilots scrapped their initial landing attempt due to tailwinds and after requesting new landing instructions from the control tower, were told to turn right and report back when they saw the 747 departing.
Once the cargo plane was sighted, the Airbus was told to "maintain visual separation," climb to 3,000 feet (910 meters) and turn right.
But the Airbus pilots refused to obey "because the turn would have put their flight in direct conflict with the B747," the NTSB said.
Instructed to "monitor vertical speed" for a descent, the Airbus began dropping in altitude and lost sight of the B747.
At 1,500 feet the plane's Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System bellowed out a verbal warning: "traffic, traffic."
"There were no reported injuries or damage to either aircraft," the NTSB said, adding that a board investigator was heading to Anchorage to investigate the incident.
In late March, a Boeing 777 operated by United Airlines that took off from San Francisco airport with 268 passengers came within just 60 meters of a small single-engine plane.
A month later, two similar incidents occurred at Hobby Airport in Houston. The first involved a helicopter and a Southwest Airlines jet, the second a small tourist plane and another Southwest carrier.
Two other collisions were narrowly avoided at an airport in Burbank, California, earlier this month.
FAA administrator Randy Babitt recently brought together a group of experts to study the problem and come up with a solution.
Normally, these incidents have to be reported to the FAA within 24 hours, but in some cases the agency had not been notified for several days.
According to The Wall Street Journal, this situation has infuriated FAA authorities, and they have made their feelings known to air traffic controllers across the United States.
22 May 2010, An Air India Express passenger plane crashed in flames after overshooting the runway in the southern city of Mangalore on Saturday, killing 159 people on board.
Dubai helpline numbers
DUBAI—The Air India Express office in Dubai Airport Terminal 2 has announced the helpline numbers - 04-2165828, 04-2165829, 04-2666950, 04 -2690118
On Saturday, an Air India Express passenger plane from Dubai overshot a runway and crashed outside the Mangalore airport in southern India, killing at least 160 people.
The UAE relatives of the passengers, who wish to travel to India on an emergency basis, can contact the Indian Consulate in Dubai for emergency counseling services,a Consulate spokesperson said. They can contact the officials on 04- 3960174.
The Consulate General of India Sanjeev Verma has reached the airport to conduct more inquiries in person. - Staff Report
There were only eight survivors after the Boeing 737-800, with 166 people on board including crew, appeared to have skidded off the runway in rain at Mangalore airport in Karnataka state, Air India director Anup Srivastava said.
All the passengers were Indian nationals, an Air India official in Dubai said.
Air India Express is the budget arm of the loss making state-run carrier Air India, which has been fending off growing competition from private airlines. First indications are that the crash was an accident, officials say.
Television channels said the plane crashed around 6:30 a.m. (0100 GMT). TV images showed it struck a forested area. Flames were seen blazing from the wreckage as rescue workers fought to bring the fire under control.
“The plane had broken into two. I jumped out of the plane after it crashed. I saw two other people also come out,” Abdullah, a survivor from the plane, told local channel TV9 from hospital.
“There was a tyre-burst kind of noise. I tried to get out of the front but saw that there was a big fire. So I went back again and jumped out from there.”
It was India’s first major crash in more than a decade, which has seen a boom in private carriers amid growing demand from India’s middle class.
A series of near misses at major airports, including Delhi and Mumbai, have sparked debate about how India’s creaking infrastructure was failing to keep pace with an economic boom.
Black box recovered
The black box has been recovered from an Air India Express passenger plane from Dubai that crashed on landing in southern India, the United Arab Emirates’ state media said.
“The black box of the aircraft has been recovered and the mandatory court of inquiry ordered by the Director General of Civil Aviation,” WAM reported.
Charred bodies
One television channel showed a fireman carrying what seemed to be the remains of a child. Charred bodies lay in the forested terrain.
“The flight had already landed. There was slight rain. The flight skidded off,” witness Mohiuddin Bava told CNN-IBN channel. “After that it caught fire. Villagers, everyone there, came to rescue.”
The last major crash in India was in July, 2000, when an Alliance Air Boeing 737-200 crashed into a residential area during a second landing attempt in the eastern city of Patna, killing at least 50 people.
With growing competition from private carriers, the Indian government agreed to infuse $1.1 billion into loss-making Air India if the ailing state-run carrier found the same amount in cost cuts and extra revenue.
The airline lost $875 million in the fiscal year ended March 2009.
Hundreds of Air India pilots went on strike in September 2009 to protest management plans to cut pay incentives. The strike was called off when aviation minister Praful Patel said the grievances would be dealt with.
Mangalore airport new terminal- Image courtesy: Wikipedia
Mysore airport has a table-top runway which means that it is located on a hill top, which demands accuracy and no room for error while landing.
According to sources, the pilot did not report any malfunction to the Airport Traffic Control (ATC), before landing.
Helpline Numbers
Following are the helpline numbers where information on the Mangalore Air India Express airplane crash can be ascertained:
Air India has deployed its full Emergency Response Team - 'Angels of Air India' - at Mangalore where Air India Express Dubai-Mangalore flight IX-812 crashed Saturday.
“I saw the flight catching fire and heard the shrieks of my co-passengers inside the aircraft,” said Krishnan, who survived by escaping through a gap in the broken Air India Express aircraft seconds after it crashed in Mangalore .
“It was drizzling but the plane appeared on course for landing. Soon after the aircraft touched the runway, I heard a sound and smoke started comming in the plane.
The Reliance General Insurance Company-led consortium, which insured Air India’s fleet including the Boeing 737 aircraft that crashed Saturday in Mangalore, may not be hit hard by the accident thanks to re-insurance, experts said.
A Saudi businessman lost 16 family members in Saturday’s plane crash in Mangalore who were going to attend his grandmother’s funeral. Another family from Dubai was on its way to a wedding when it perished in the tragedy.
External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said the Mangalore airport, where an Air India plane crashed Saturday, is known to test the limits of pilot’s skills.
Pakistan Saturday sent its condolences to India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the deaths of 159 people in an Air India plane crash earlier in the day.
The Mangalore air crash that killed 158 people Saturday “points finger towards the faults in our infrastructure facilities in airports”, an Air India board member said.
Nineteen children and four infants were on board the Air India aircraft that crashed.The Air India Express from Dubai broke up while landing, killing 159 people. Only eight people survived.
Runway visibility was good for landing and there was no problem with the air India Express Boeing 737 that crashed in Mangalore, killing 158 people Saturday, the Airports Authority of india (AAI) said.
Landing in Mangalore is always a “fearful experience”, a Gulf News journalist who travels frequently to the indian city said after an air crash there Saturday killed 158 people.
Kerala govt declared a two-day mourning Saturday for the victims of the air India Express plane disaster near Mangalore. Most of the passengers from Dubai to Mangalore were from Kerala.
Abu Dhabi based Shailesh Brahmavar Rao, who was on board the ill-fated air India Express aircraft that crashed Saturday morning in india’s Mangalore city, was travelling to india to attend his mother’s funeral.
The Mangalore International Airport, where an air India Express flight crashed Saturday killing nearly 170 people, opened in 1951 as the Bajpe Aerodrome when then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru arrived on the maiden flight.
AP – A student tour group from Sunapee, N.H. wait in a British Airways line inside the international terminal …
12 mins ago
LONDON – British civil aviation authorities say there will be no flights over England until Saturday morning at the earliest, as a huge ash cloud from Iceland's erupting volcano disrupts air traffic around the world.
The National Air Traffic Services says some flights could start leaving and arriving at airports in Scotland and Northern Ireland later Friday. Another agency update is expected at 1230GMT (8:30 a.m. EDT).
Flights around the world have been canceled and passengers stranded as the ash cloud affected operations at some of the world's busiest airports, including London's Heathrow.
The ash is spewing from a volcano beneath Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull (ay-yah-FYAH'-plah-yer-kuh-duhl) glacier that began erupting Wednesday for the second time in less than a month.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European air navigation agency says air traffic disruptions from the volcanic ash cloud will last at least another day.
Eurocontrol says the cloud's impact "will continue for at least the next 24 hours."
"Thanks to all the ladies and gentlemen who stopping by, this is a blog which will tell you the way, life and how small the aviation world will be which I am now concerning, having, facing and going through. A place to share ideas, thoughts and opinions on the chatterbox/comments. Kindly leave a message to let me know your view and correct me from time to time. A variety of "sweet/sour/bitter" life will be blogging to this blog for anyone who cares to listen/read. Stay chill, Stay healthy, Stay cool! Have a great day! Cheers! (",) "
PROFILE
Name : Xiu Yu
Hobbies : Reading aviation books and magazines, Surfing aviation webs, Enjoy eating and sleeping, Travelling, Collect aircraft models,.....
Age : 24
Gender : Female
Location : Malaysia
Occupation : A forever student who won't stop in learning.
Life Aiming: *Help out those who need *Keep learning, flying *Seeing safe flight, wonderful sky and peace in aviation
