Attachment
Flying high over the Atlantic Ocean the pilot, with 32 years experience, had a heart attack and died during the flight. The 247 passengers aboard, were barely aware there was a crisis on board.
Fortunately a cardiologist and radiologist from Brussels, 72 year old Dr. Julien Struyven, was one of the passengers on Continental flight COA 61, travelling from Brussells to New Jersey, earlier this week. He responded when the crews asked if there was a doctor on board. Struyven pronounced the pilot dead and the body was removed to a crew rest area.
The co-pilot and a relief pilot landed the aircraft after taking over control. Passengers did not hear about the death on board, until after the plane had safely landed.
All airlines must carry a captain, a first officer and a relief pilot on board any flight that is over an eight hour flight time. Flights that extend over 12 hours are required to have two complete sets of captains and first officers on board. Crews usually rotate on a 4 1/2 hour shift.
Spokeswoman for the Houston-based airline Kelly Cripe, said, “The 60-year-old Newark-based pilot, is believed to have died of natural causes".
There are other incidents where the pilot has died during flight. A Continental flight in January 2007, between Texas and Mexico, made an emergency landing when the pilot fell ill and died. The co-pilot safely landed the aircraft at a nearby Texan airport.
A Taiwanese China Airline in May 2000, turned back shortly after takeoff, as the pilot had suffered a heart attack. The pilot died shortly after arriving at hospital.
In March 1997, A Gulf Airbus A-320 was forced to a hasty stop at Abu Dhabi airport when the pilot had a heart attack during the take-off procedure.
The most spectacular incident of all took place in April 2009 when Doug White took over the controls and landed a twin engine plane, after the pilot had slipped into unconsciousness. White had a pilot’s license and had flown a single-engine Cessna 172, but had never experienced a twin engine King Air before. White had first got his pilot license in 1990, but had only just started flying again. The White family was on a return flights in a company owned aircraft, from Marco Island, where Doug’s brother had just died from a heart attack.
The King Air continued to ascend, until White grabbed the controls. Listening intently to the air traffic controllers, White did as he was told. He said later "It was a focused fear. I was in some kind of a zone that I can't explain".
Thirty tormenting minutes later, 56 year-old White safely brought the plane down, under the instructions of an air controller, who was receiving directions from a pilot who was knew the King Air aircraft.
The pilot never regained consciousness, but died in spite of all efforts to revive him, once they had landed.
More information about the author, take a few minutes to check it all out at Win A Resort (http://winaresort.com)
Dr Wendy Stenberg-Tendys and her husband are CEO's of YouMe Support Foundation (http://youmesupport.org) providing high school education grants for children who are without hope. A chance to fulfill their dreams at whatever level they chose to.
Feel free to contact Wendy on admin@youmesupport.org
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
