BREAKING: Flight bound for Naples FL - Pilot unresponsive, slumped over controls

[ArcadiaGP]

Collection of the updates below. It's being followed by jets, and currently over Cuba. The only outcome is a crash, right? Can it still be landed with an unconscious pilot?


BREAKING: Cuban fighter jets now following unresponsive plane over Cuban airspace
BREAKING: Flight left Rochester, NY bound for Naples, FL. Pilot not responding to radio. Plane is currently over Cuban airspace
BREAKING UPDATE: The fighter pilots visually verified that the pilot was unresponsive and slumped over the controls. NORAD

 

[SEIndSAM]

Collection of the updates below. It's being followed by jets, and currently over Cuba. The only outcome is a crash, right? Can it still be landed with an unconscious pilot?


BREAKING: Cuban fighter jets now following unresponsive plane over Cuban airspace
BREAKING: Flight left Rochester, NY bound for Naples, FL. Pilot not responding to radio. Plane is currently over Cuban airspace
BREAKING UPDATE: The fighter pilots visually verified that the pilot was unresponsive and slumped over the controls. NORAD

Nope, it is basically an unguided missile now. It will splash down when it runs out of fuel.

 

[churchmouse]

Is the pilot the only soul aboard?????

 

[T.Lex]

Can it still be landed with an unconscious pilot?

Sarcastic comments aside, the basic answer is no.

This is the second one of these recently.

F-16s dispatched for unresponsive pilot of small plane near D.C. | Reuters

Two F-16 fighter jets were dispatched to check on a small plane that entered restricted airspace around Washington, D.C., on Saturday, and the fighter pilots observed the person at the controls to be unconscious before the plane ran out of fuel and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, officials said.

Very sad.

 

[88GT]

Is this a private plane or a commercial jet?

ETA: at least a private plane, I hope. I would assume a commercial would have a co-pilot.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Is this a private plane or a commercial jet?

I keep reading "small aircraft"

 

[SEIndSAM]

Sarcastic comments aside, the basic answer is no.

This is the second one of these recently.

F-16s dispatched for unresponsive pilot of small plane near D.C. | Reuters


Very sad.

Thanks TLex, I was looking for that link.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

NORAD scrambles F-15?s to investigate ?unresponsive aircraft? over Atlantic | Twitchy

 

[ModernGunner]

Wouldn't a plane, even a small turbo-prop like this one, have a separate, emergency oxygen / air supply, similar to the 'emergency breathing masks' that pop down on commercial airliners?

 

[1911ly]

They are reporting iced over windows. Really sad. Hopefully it goes down without hurting anyone on the ground. Sounds like it is over water at the moment.

 

[1911ly]

ISIS takes on the Commies.....

Really

 

[hoosierdoc]

He's a danger to others. Hate to say it but take the plane out over water if flight path is over land.

He is likely in a non-survivable situation.

 

[AngryRooster]

ISIS takes on the Commies.....

Having family that are pilots I really wish I could slap you.

 

[MCgrease08]

Person With No Flying Experience Can Land : Discovery Channel

In theory if there is someone else is on-board (even with no training) they can be talked through the landing process by a skilled pilot on the ground.

Mythbusters did it.

 

[hoosierdoc]

I'm guessing that other person would have been in contact with someone by now if they were on board and alert.

 

[Dead Duck]

"Mmm, Wonder what this does?"

 

[1911ly]

He's a danger to others. Hate to say it but take the plane out over water if flight path is over land.

He is likely in a non-survivable situation.

I agree.

 

[avboiler11]

That airplane is pressurized.

I'm not familiar with the systems of the TBM-900, but if there is a problem with the pressurization system, there is a backup O2 system which will allow the pilot to descend *IF* the pilot puts on the mask before they go hypoxic and/or lose consciousness. It probably also has a cabin altitude audible alert once cabin altitude goes above 10,000ft. The windshields being fogged would indicate lack of pressurization, compared to simply a medical incapacitation.

Remember Payne Stewart? Same type of deal, in a Lear 35, which has a "copilot". A second (or third or fourth) pilot is useless if all crewmembers don't recognize the loss of the cabin and/or slow onset of hypoxia.

Helious 522, a 737 enroute Cyprus-Athens had the same thing happen a while back.

This one had a better outcome:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IqWal_EmBg

 

[Dead Duck]

Just crashed on the island of Jamaica.






This is an interesting site.

N900KN ? 05-Sep-2014 ? KROC - KAPF ? FlightAware

 

[Robert8252]

Sounding like they were flying too high and the cabin is frozen meaning no one is conscious. I find it weird there wouldn't have been a few seconds to make a emergency call, temp would have to be in the -50s+ to freeze someone in seconds.