Fighting For Control

Editorial Staff

Saturday, June 03, 2023 at 09:07 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A private pilot, acting as a passenger, was forced to intervene when the pilot-in-command froze and became unresponsive to ATC during an instrument hold near a busy airport.
The incapacitated pilot's inaction led to flying off course and altitude, creating a dangerous situation and frantic communication from air traffic control.
The author had to physically struggle with the pilot to gain control of the aircraft, eventually succeeding and landing safely.
The experience highlighted critical lessons about pilot incapacitation, the necessity of practicing flying from the right seat, and trusting one's intuition in emergencies.

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I was a new private pilot with about 100 hours, training for my instrument rating. A schoolmate asked if I wanted to go as a passenger to a very busy international airport to pick up a friend. He was supposedly well-trained with more hours than me, but did not feel comfortable flying into a busy airport. Having trained at a busy airport, I was comfortable and used to flying in that airspace.

It was agreed that I was just a passenger unless needed for the short flight. Immediately after takeoff, I felt things were not right. He looked and flew with uncertainty, and his communication skills were sloppy.