The 9 Most Heroic Airline Pilots of All Time - Business Insider

Co-pilot Alastair Atchison made an emergency descent, but – due to the sound of rushing air – could not hear air traffic control. 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H M S Inthenews Closeicon Twocrossedlinesthatforman'X'.Itindicatesawaytocloseaninteraction,ordismissanotification. Chevronicon Itindicatesanexpandablesectionormenu,orsometimesprevious/nextnavigationoptions. HOMEPAGE 0 Newsletters Accounticon Aniconintheshapeofaperson'sheadandshoulders.Itoftenindicatesauserprofile. Login Subscribe Home Chevronicon Itindicatesanexpandablesectionormenu,orsometimesprevious/nextnavigationoptions. TransportationContributors The9MostHeroicAirlinePilotsOfAllTime OliverSmith, TheTelegraph 2014-08-15T19:29:00Z SaveArticleIcon Abookmark FacebookIcon TheletterF. Emailicon Anenvelope.Itindicatestheabilitytosendanemail. Shareicon Ancurvedarrowpointingright. Twittericon Astylizedbirdwithanopenmouth,tweeting. Twitter LinkedInicon Theword"in". LinkedIn Fliboardicon AstylizedletterF. Flipboard FacebookIcon TheletterF. Facebook Emailicon Anenvelope.Itindicatestheabilitytosendanemail. Email Linkicon Animageofachainlink.Itsymobilizesawebsitelinkurl. CopyLink Downloadtheapp Reuters Redeemnow Afterapilotwasrecentlyforcedtolandaplaneone-handed,duetohisprostheticlimbfallingoff,welookatothermiraculousairlineescapes. TheJakartaincidentJune24,1982 ThisBritishAirwaysflightfromHeathrowtoAucklandwaspassingoverJakartawhenitranintovolcanicashfromtheeruptionofMountGalunggung,resultinginthefailureofallfourengines.Naturally,therewasconcerninthecockpit,withtheflightengineerexclaiming:“Idon'tbelieveit– allfourengineshavefailed!" Thecaptain,RogerGreaves,triedtoreassurepassengerswiththefollowingstatement:“Ladiesandgentlemen,thisisyourcaptainspeaking.Wehaveasmallproblem.Allfourengineshavestopped.Wearedoingourdamnedesttogetthemgoingagain.Itrustyouarenotintoomuchdistress." Passengersreportedlyscribblednotestolovedones,whileGreavescalculatedhowfartheplanemightbeabletoglidebeforereachingsealevel(91mileshededuced).Luckily,ataround13,500feet,theenginesrestartedsuccessfully. BritishAirwaysFlight5390June10,1990 Inthisremarkableincident,onboardaBAflighttoMalagawith81passengers,abadly-fittedwindscreenpanelfailed,suckingthecaptain,TimLancaster,halfwayoutofthecockpit.Hisheadandtorsowasoutdoors–at17,300feetandbeingbatteredby300mphwinds–whilehislegsremainedinside,withflightattendantsgrippinghimtightly.Co-pilotAlastairAtchisonmadeanemergencydescent,but–duetothesoundofrushingair–couldnothearairtrafficcontrol.HeeventuallylandedsafelyinSouthampton,whereLancasterwastreatedforfrostbite,shockandabrokenarm. ThemiracleontheHudsonJanuary15,2009 Perhapsthebestknownincidentofrecenttimes,involvingthemostbrilliantlymonikeredpilot.ChesleySullenbergerIII,atthehelmofUSAirwaysFlight1549,managedtolandsafelyontheHudsonRiverafteraflockofCanadageesedisabledtheaircraft.All155passengerssurvived;Sullenberger’srewardwasabookdealwithHarperCollins,andearlyretirement. TheWindsorincidentJune12,1972 AmericanAirlinesFlight96fromLAtoNewYorkranintotroublesoonafterastopoverinDetroit,whentherearcargodoorsuddenlybrokeoff.Thesubsequentexplosivedecompressionsawpartofthefloorattherearofthecabingiveway,severingacontrolcableanddisablingoneoftheengines.CaptainBryceMcCormick,whoinitiallybelievedtheplanehadsufferedamid-aircollision,declaredanemergency,whileflightattendantstookoxygentopassengers(masksdidnotdeploybecausetheplanewasbelowthe14,000ftlimit).TheplanereturnedtoDetroit,and– despitebeingforcedtolanddangerouslyfast– McCormicktoucheddownsafely. TheGimliGliderJuly23,1983 Whilecruisingat41,000feet,halfwaythroughaflightfromMontrealtoEdmonton,AirCanadaFlight143ranoutofjuice–dueto,shockingly,arefuellingmiscalculationcausedbyarecentswitchtothemetricsystem.Theproblemhadnotbeenspottedearlierbecauseofanelectronicfaultontheaircraft’sinstrumentpanel,andtheplanelostallpower.Luckily,CaptainBobPearsonwasanexperiencedgliderpilot,guidingthe767toRCAFStationGimli.Thelandingwashardandfast–Pearsonhadtobrakesohardheblewtwotires,whiletheaircraft’snosefelloff,startingasmallfire–butall61onboardsurvivedunharmed. AlohaFlight243April28,1988 In1988,a737,flownbyAlohaAirlineswith90peopleonboardwasenroutetoHonolulu,cruisingatanaltitudeof24,000feet,whenasmallsectionoftheroofruptured.Theresultingexplosivedecompressiontoreoffalargersectionoftheroof,anda57-year-oldflightattendantcalledClarabelleLansingwassweptfromherseatandoutoftheholeintheaircraft.Fortunately,allotherpassengerswerebeltedup,andthepilot– RobertSchornstheimer –managedtoland13minuteslater,avoidingfurtherlossoflife. BAFlight38January17,2008 Anotherrecentcase,BAFlight38wasjusttwomilesfromHeathrowwhenitsenginessuddenlyfailedtorespondtothecrew’sdemandforextrathrust.Abuildoficecrystalsinitsfuellineshadcausedarestrictionintheflowoffuel.Theplanelandedaround270metresshortoftherunway,justbeyondtheA30.Theplanewasawrite-off,butjustonepassengersufferedaseriousinjury.Thepilot’sname?Ironically,JohnCoward. SavingasuperjumboNovember4,2010 ThecaptainofthisQantasflight– RichardChampiondeCrespigny –wasalsogivenaPolarisAward.Enginenumber2explodedoverIndonesia,damagingawingandcausingafueltankfire,forcingtheplane,anA380with469peopleonboard,tomakeanemergencylandinginSingapore.Itblewfourtyreswhenitlanded,butnoonewashurt. CathayPacificFlight780April13,2010 InasimilarincidenttoBAFlight38,thisCathayPacificservicefromSurabayaJuandaInternationalAirportinIndonesiasuddenlylosttheabilitytochangethrustasitnearedHongKong,landingatalmosttwicetherecommendedspeed.PilotsMalcolmWatersandDavidHayhoeweregiventhePolarisAward– fromtheInternationalFederationofAirLinePilots'Associations– fortheirheroism. SignupfornotificationsfromInsider!Stayuptodatewithwhatyouwanttoknow. Subscribetopushnotifications ReadtheoriginalarticleonTheTelegraph.Copyright2014. FollowTheTelegraphonTwitter. Dealicon Aniconintheshapeofalightningbolt. Keepreading Newsletter Getadailyselectionofourtopstoriesbasedonyourreadingpreferences. Loading Somethingisloading. Emailaddress Byclicking‘Signup’,youagreetoreceivemarketingemailsfromInsider aswellasotherpartneroffersandacceptour TermsofServiceand PrivacyPolicy. TheTelegraph Airlines Aviation Closeicon Twocrossedlinesthatforman'X'.Itindicatesawaytocloseaninteraction,ordismissanotification. RecommendedVideo