TBM 900 Crash: Rethinking Inflight Emergencies

Thursday, September 11, 2014 at 05:46 PM ET

Verified

In the wake of the crash of a TBM 900 after suspected pilot incapacitation, do controller and pilot training need an overhaul? Flying

Key Takeaways:

Captain Sullenberger's "Miracle on the Hudson" demonstrated that air traffic control (ATC) can recognize and handle a critical emergency based on descriptive communication, even without the pilot explicitly using the word "emergency."
The TBM 900 crash, likely due to pilot incapacitation from hypoxia, highlighted a significant flaw where pilots may be unable to declare emergencies or recognize their own peril, making it difficult for ATC to intervene effectively.
The article advocates for an overhaul of training for both pilots and ATC to better identify and manage emergencies, especially when pilot incapacitation is suspected, compelling controllers to treat subtle cues as emergencies.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Editor’s note: Capt. Sullenberger contacted us after publication of this article to clarify that he did call “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday” immediately after birds struck his Airbus A320 on January 15, 2009, but his radio transmission was stepped on by a simultaneous call by the air traffic controller and so was never broadcast. The final NTSB transcript of the communications from Flight 1549, however, does begin with the “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday” transmission.

If there’s a textbook case of an inflight emergency that most everyone agrees was handled flawlessly, it’s Capt. Sully’s “Miracle on the Hudson” splashdown in January 2009. It made Sullenberger and copilot Jeff Skiles instant national celebrities, and still serves as a model of the calm and collected flight crew skillfully handling an extremely difficult situation.