Punkpilot48

I was in training when this happend infact we were in the sim doing cabin fire drills probably the same time you were doing it for real. And I'll be damed that after that day everyday after when we got into the sim the instructor didnt make our A/C number 811.


Good work gettin her down. It didn't look like you mentioned it but wasn't the FA dealing with a PAX having a seisure while this was going on as well?

Well obviously I'm not at TSA anymore but I'll be sure to try to pass on to my new airline how bad it is to open the DV window. (sarcasm)

FlyerJosh

I've had three pucker factor moments in my ten year career-

First was working as a flight instructor- Doing an aircraft checkout/$100 hamburger flight with a friend/coworker from my other job in the training department of a regional... we took off for a late evening 1.5 hr flight from Manassas, VA to Roanoke, VA (mountainous) in marginal conditions (2miles/800 OVC) and right after getting handed off to departure had a total electrical failure (IMC at Night). Too low to descend back down to see the field, can't climb right away for fear of hitting traffic descending on the ILS to IAD in the overlying class B. Can't get ontop because of freezing levels and performance (tops were at 12K, we were in a Piper Cherokee 6). Ended up calling FSS via my cellphone to get radar identified and vectors to VFR conditions about 150 miles away, where we spent the night and had a few beers...

Second was a low level windshear encounter in the CRJ flying into Burlington, VT. Winds were out of the east at 30 gusting 40, coming over the mountains to the east and causing continuous Moderate Turbulence below 10K. To top it off, the captain was new to the plane (just from the Jetstream 32)... he deferred the landing to me (I had 2 years in type) and backed me up to make the landing "legal" since he was supposed to land being a green captain (makes sense, huh?). Came in with an extra 10 knots of speed, kept power on to 50' and pulled the thrust to idle... just as the levers hit the rear stop, we got a 30+ knot loss with Windshear warning, and the bottom fell out... we slammed down on the numbers, with both of us swearing and pulling the yoke back to our laps while I firewalled the power. Wrote the plane up for a hard landing and an inspection of the FDR revealed a sink rate of 2200 FPM at "landing." Drank beer that night too.

Final one was a bird strike in a warrior when I was training for my commercial... hit a canadian goose on short final to a remote uncontrolled field in ND... the goose hit the outboard portion of the right wing (where it goes from aluminum to fiberglass/plastic) and took off about a foot and a half of wing. I ended up spending the night while the flight school figured out how to get me (I was on a long x-country and about 300 miles from home). Needless to say, it was a worse day for the goose.

rickair7777

Note to self: Go buy that hand-held GPS I've been meaning to get for GA flying.

flaps 9

Good ole 811HK. Should change it to 911HK.

Thanks for the kind words. I did forget to mention the pax in the back having issues. Once I heard that I thought "what next". Well level 3/4 thunderstorms all around and SGF reporting 009 ovc with heavy rain and TS.

On landing one thrust reverser would not deploy, relays were burned through, just glad to get it to a stop and get everyone off.

Sorry to hear about your furlough. Don't worry I'm sure you'll be headed to a better place.

Ottopilot

My last crisis was on a flight to the UK. We only had 8 first class menus. Luckily I got a hold of catering and the other 8 menus were delievered to the gate ontime. The lobster and steak were good.

Minor problems I've had in the past:
1. smoke in cockpit- on takeoff- air return.
2. no flap landing (more serious in a jet)- uneventful landing (30 kts headwind)
3. a few system failures, but never complete failure. Lost only of of two or three systems, etc.

ERJ135

Minor things I've had, Gear not coming down, electrical failure (VFR), fire in the nose cone of the Seneca (lead wire to the battery terminal shorted out causing the insulation around it to catch on fire) Didn't know about until MX took it apart and looked inside. Other things, icing, getting too close to T-storms, very strong mountain waves that made the stall horn off. That was trying to go to BTV. I will not fly over the mountains in anything less than a cherokee 6 and no lower than 8,000. Fortunately most of the "stupid" things I did to get myself in those WX situations I did in my first 500hrs of flying. I learned a lot back then. Then I became a CFI and learned whole lot more but I have say I am glad made all those mistakes on my own not trying to teach someone else.