Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > Air Canada | Aeroplan
Reload this Page >

Crew dragged AC co-pilot off jet at Shannon after mid-air scare

Community
Wiki Posts
Search

Crew dragged AC co-pilot off jet at Shannon after mid-air scare

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jan 31, 2008, 1:51 pm
  #76  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 13,145
Originally Posted by nacirema
in may of 07 his wife and one of his sons were killed in an automobile accident. If that wasn't enough, he lost some major personal stock investments to a major fraud here in town literally couple of weeks after the tragic accident. then our business took a major dive in mid july (although it has recovered since). His other son was acting up, drugs, alcohol and such.
Sorry to hear about that and yes thanks for sharing the story with us.
Rejuvenated is offline  
Old Jan 31, 2008, 4:55 pm
  #77  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: YEG
Programs: HH Silver
Posts: 56,447
http://www.streetinsider.com/Press+R...8/3302782.html

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Jan. 29, 2008) - The Air Canada Pilots Association commends the crew of Flight 848 for its effective handling of the illness of a crew member and safely diverting the aircraft to Shannon, Ireland.

"Although the illness of flight crew is rare, pilots are fully trained for such an event," said Capt. Andy Wilson, president of the Air Canada Pilots Association. "The safe diversion was the result of the pilot following standard operating procedures in the professional manner that is expected of Air Canada pilots."

Air Canada Flight 848 was on its way from Toronto to London Heathrow when the First Officer on the flight fell ill.

"Our member was taken to hospital, where he is being treated," says Wilson. "ACPA has sent a fellow pilot to assist in whatever way is required."

ACPA is the largest professional pilot group in Canada, representing the 3,300 pilots who operate Air Canada's mainline fleet.
tcook052 is offline  
Old Jan 31, 2008, 6:04 pm
  #78  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
Programs: UA 2MM, AA 600k, DL 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club
Posts: 9,950
Cool

Two thoughts:

I wonder if the "off duty member of the Canadian Armed Forces" would be known as a Federal Air Marshal in the States?

And, it raises the question, with all the hardening and procedures to keep people OUT of the flight deck, are there means and procedures for getting into it if such an incident happened while a crew member is in the left or right seat?

Both are probably imponderable. And the chances of the latter scenario are .....what? (I know -- less than a hijacking. Hence, why the scale tips for having pistols in the cockpit.)
Firewind is offline  
Old Jan 31, 2008, 6:49 pm
  #79  
B1
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 3,665
Originally Posted by Firewind
I wonder if the "off duty member of the Canadian Armed Forces" would be known as a Federal Air Marshal in the States?
An off-duty member of the Canadian Forces is not an Air Marshal. For flights into DCA, where the US requires police presence, the on-board security is fulfilled by a non-uniformed member of the RCMP, the federal civilian police. Neither in the US nor in Canada do military officers patrol within civilian aircraft.
B1 is offline  
Old Jan 31, 2008, 7:02 pm
  #80  
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida, USA
Posts: 886
Originally Posted by Stranger
Well, I would say, if he were a pilot, that's plenty of signs that there is a serious risk of the guy falling apart. For good reasons too.
i would say just the opposite.

first, most people don't go talking about how they got ripped off or how their kids are going off the deep end.

second, pilots and fas are in a very unique work environment. the pilots don't fly as a permanent pair. they fly with different partners all the time. sure they run into each other over time but unless they live in the same town and are friends, they have separate personal lives, not condusive to actually knowing what's going on in their co-pilots everyday lives.

third, even if somebody witnessed a slight change, most would assume it's his grief period over the lost of his love ones and that's what happen with me and i even knew about the other stuff yet i gave him some more room. it never dawn on me that he would have a nervous breakdown, and i spend a great deal of time with him on a regular basis, professional and personal.
nacirema is offline  
Old Jan 31, 2008, 10:32 pm
  #81  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1
Originally Posted by hawkins
How 'bout common decency? This is a medical issue.
Or a CRIMINAL issue ??!
dex888 is offline  
Old Feb 1, 2008, 2:45 am
  #82  
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sydney
Posts: 5,769
Originally Posted by painintheuk
I was on that flight and it mostly happened as described in the article. It was quite an experience! He was being restrained in 12A and the entire mini-cabin could here the whole thing. Not for delicate ears. The soldier and the doctors (who were passengers) were great.

Quick correction, though... There were no hotels. We were given 15E vouchers for sandwiches at lunch and then just waited around hoping for information. They ended up flying a 767 to deliver a new crew - I don't know how they are going to get that back .

I was so delayed and exhausted that I ended up staying at a hotel in Manchester instead of making it all the way home. At least I got some HHonors points out of it .

Dr. PITUK
You have actually made the papers in Singapore today. it said
according to a contributor at www.flyertalk.com BLAH BLAH BLAH
tinkybelle is offline  
Old Feb 1, 2008, 5:45 am
  #83  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 1
hello. I'm also trying to report on the incident. any eye-witness wanting/willing to chat to me?
sosgal is offline  
Old Feb 1, 2008, 7:54 am
  #84  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: YOW
Programs: AC E75K *G
Posts: 7,107
Originally Posted by sosgal
hello. I'm also trying to report on the incident. any eye-witness wanting/willing to chat to me?
Get in line!

I'm still waiting on my shirt order!
zorn is offline  
Old Feb 1, 2008, 8:48 am
  #85  
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: CLT
Programs: Choice Hotels/FFOCUS
Posts: 7,256
I just hope this co-pilot will be ok.
coachrowsey is offline  
Old Feb 2, 2008, 5:11 am
  #86  
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Munich, Germany
Programs: Miles&More Blue, SPG Silver
Posts: 3,379
Originally Posted by painintheuk
I was on that flight and it mostly happened as described in the article. It was quite an experience! He was being restrained in 12A and the entire mini-cabin could here the whole thing. Not for delicate ears. The soldier and the doctors (who were passengers) were great.
You made it into the online version of large German newspaper "Die Welt" Ein Nervenzusammenbruch in 11.000 Metern Höhe.

Quote from the article:
"Er wurde an Sitz 12A gefesselt. Die gesamte Crew konnte mithören. Das war nichts für schwache Nerven", schrieb ein Passagier auf der Website www.flyertalk.com. "Ein kanadischer Soldat und einige Ärzte (alle Passagiere) verhielten sich großartig."
flyingfkb is offline  
Old Feb 2, 2008, 6:47 pm
  #87  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 1
Originally Posted by nacirema
i would say just the opposite.

first, most people don't go talking about how they got ripped off or how their kids are going off the deep end.

second, pilots and fas are in a very unique work environment. the pilots don't fly as a permanent pair. they fly with different partners all the time. sure they run into each other over time but unless they live in the same town and are friends, they have separate personal lives, not condusive to actually knowing what's going on in their co-pilots everyday lives.

third, even if somebody witnessed a slight change, most would assume it's his grief period over the lost of his love ones and that's what happen with me and i even knew about the other stuff yet i gave him some more room. it never dawn on me that he would have a nervous breakdown, and i spend a great deal of time with him on a regular basis, professional and personal.

I know another airline pilot (not AC) who has had somewhat similar tragic problems, and really shouldn't be flying either. His private life is a shambles, he's under massive personal stress, his behaviour has become increasingly irrational, and he's even talked about his 'premonition' of crashing sometime next year. But he passed his last medical check with flying colours, which apparently didn't have any psychological assessment with it. As long as his eyes and hearing are good, I guess the airline doesn't care if he's bonkers.

I don't work with him, so it's only a guess, but I suspect the only time he feels like he has any peace or control over his life is when he's in the cockpit. His co-workers might not be noticing much. But once he's on the ground, he's not coping well, he's pretty tightly wrapped and it's obvious he's deeply troubled to a few around him close enough to see it.

And there's not a damned thing anyone can do about it, certainly no one outside the airline industry. Very few pilots ever seek help for fear of being grounded. In a perverse way, I'm glad this poor first officer has flipped out so spectacularly. Maybe now the airline industry will make some overdue changes to their health checks and include psychological testing as well as mandatory counselling for at-risk pilots. Believe me, I know for a stone cold fact there are more like this guy out there, just waiting to happen.

While you and I are in the plane he's flying.
thoroughbred is offline  
Old Feb 2, 2008, 6:53 pm
  #88  
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: AC Elite
Posts: 592
Interesting. I'm a physician, and it is common knowledge (supported by research) that a drug-abusing physician loses control of his social and family life before his work life. The people at work are the *last* to ever know there's a problem. Sounds like the pilot you're talking about....
propofol is offline  
Old Feb 3, 2008, 1:48 pm
  #89  
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: YYZ at this time
Programs: ACMM / Altitude S100K / HH Diamond
Posts: 6,285
Pilot Association Commends Crew of Air Canada Flight 848

The Air Canada Pilots Association commends the crew of Flight 848 for its effective handling of the illness of a crew member and safely diverting the aircraft to Shannon, Ireland.

"Although the illness of flight crew is rare, pilots are fully trained for such an event," said Capt. Andy Wilson, president of the Air Canada Pilots Association. "The safe diversion was the result of the pilot following standard operating procedures in the professional manner that is expected of Air Canada pilots."

Air Canada Flight 848 was on its way from Toronto to London Heathrow when the First Officer on the flight fell ill.

"Our member was taken to hospital, where he is being treated," says Wilson. "ACPA has sent a fellow pilot to assist in whatever way is required."

ACPA is the largest professional pilot group in Canada, representing the 3,300 pilots who operate Air Canada's mainline fleet.

Link: http://www.pr-usa.net/index.php?opti...64129&Itemid=9
PreferBulkhead is offline  
Old Feb 25, 2008, 8:23 am
  #90  
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Vancouver, BC
Programs: Aeroplan 75K | Latitude Flight Pass junkie
Posts: 1,548
It could have been worse for that co-pilot...

http://snipurl.com/20czm [www_theglobeandmail_com]
YVR72 is offline  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.