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What To Do When The Pilot Is Unconscious

Illustrations by Adam Grason
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Pilot incapacitation, though a rare occurrence, presents a serious emergency risk in private aviation, making it crucial for frequent passengers to be prepared.
  • Non-pilot passengers can significantly increase their chances of a successful emergency landing by learning basic aircraft control, radio communication, instrument interpretation, and approach/landing fundamentals.
  • Pilots should provide informal, hands-on training to regular passengers and encourage them to take formal "Pinch Hitter" courses to ensure preparedness and greater peace of mind.
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It’s every passenger’s worst nightmare. The flight is going smoothly and then, out of nowhere, the pilot convulses and passes out at the controls. Suddenly, the front-seat passenger is faced with the most daunting challenge he or she may likely ever face: to control the airplane and land it safely in more or less one piece, and walk away with only a bad memory.

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