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pilot incapacitation |
In-flight pilot
incapacitation means the loss of one pilot while the second remaining one takes
the control of the aircraft alone because modern high-capacity aircraft are
designed with the limitation of having a minimum of two operating pilots [
normally a commander and a co-pilot].
Pilot
incapacitation is a safety hazard and it is known to have caused accidents
under certain conditions.
Furthermore,
pilot incapacitation incidents can occur in many forms, ranging from sudden
death to a not easily detectable partial loss of function, and have occurred in
all pilot age groups and during all phases of flight.
I wish all the
pilots and the cabin crew continued health and wellness, and I also wish you
good health. I just want to promote a safe culture to professionals in the
civil aviation sector and the general readers.
In this
article, I am going to answer the question, what happens if a pilot is
incapacitated?
What is Pilot Incapacitation?
Pilot
incapacitation is defined as “any physiological or psychological state or
situation that adversely affects the health of a flight crew member and renders
him incapable of performing the assigned duties.
Simply, the
term “incapacitation” means any reduction in medical fitness to a degree or of
a nature that is likely to jeopardize flight safety.
Types of Pilot Incapacitation
The two basic
types of pilot incapacitation are:
1- Obvious
Incapacitation
2- Subtle
Incapacitation
What is Obvious Incapacitation?
Obvious
incapacitation is frequently sudden, usually prolonged and usually results in a
complete loss of operating function, generally will be easily detectable by the
remaining flight crew members [ generally will be easily detectable].
Among possible
causes of obvious incapacitation are heart disorders, severe brain disorders,
Internal bleeding, food poisoning, etc.
What is subtle incapacitation?
Subtle
incapacitation is frequently partial and often transient (for periods of
seconds or minutes). It presents a significant operational hazard because it is
difficult to detect by other crew members and the effects can range from
partial loss of functions to complete unconsciousness.
The affected
flight crew member may look well and be conscious, but with his brain only
functioning partially. He may be unaware of, or incapable of assessing the
consequence of their condition.
Among the
possible causes of subtle incapacitation might be :
- ·
Minor
brain seizures
- ·
Hypoglycemia
(low blood sugar)
- ·
Other
medical disorders
- · Extreme fatigue or preoccupation with personal problems, etc.
Causes of Pilot Incapacitation
I referred to ICAO Doc 8984 ( Manual of Civil Aviation Medicine ), the document states that two studies of airline pilots were conducted, in 1968 and again in 1988, which involved answering an anonymous survey of over 3,000 airline pilots.
Both studies included questions about whether pilots experienced incapacitation during the flight. In both studies that revealed remarkably consistent results, about 30 percent answered "yes." However, only about 4 percent they considered their inability to be a direct threat to flight safety.
In both studies the most frequently cited cause of incapacitation was acute gastroenteritis. See this table (ICAO Doc 8984- Table I-3-1).
75% | Uncontrollable bowel action (21%) and “other” gastrointestinal
symptoms (54%)
8% | Earache/blocked ear
7% | Faintness/general weakness
6% | Headache, including migraine
4% | Vertigo/disorientation
Furthermore,
pilot incapacitation may occur as a result of:
- Hypoxia (Insufficient Oxygen)
- Smoke or Fumes (Fire during flight)
- Bird Strike Accident
- Hostile act by terrorists or any attack by an unruly passenger.
The above
mentioned are the most common reasons for pilot incapacitations and, general
aviation pilot incapacitation.
Note:
While reading
the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) research report on medical
conditions found between 1975 and 2006,98 pilots' incapacitation or medical
events has occurred. The majority were due to gastrointestinal illnesses, the
most common of which was food poisoning.
In another
research titled pilot incapacitation occurrences 2010 – 2014 - published by the
Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), there have been 23 pilot
incapacitation occurrences reported per year on average.
Nearly 75
percent of the pilot incapacitation occurrences happened in high-capacity air
transport operations (about 1 in every 34,000 flights), with the main cause
being gastrointestinal illness, followed by laser strikes.
How to Reduce the Number of Pilot Incapacitation Occurrences
Whatever was
the causes, a healthy lifestyle may reduce the number of occurrences of pilot
incapacitation. This includes avoidance of drugs, moderate consumption of
alcohol, adequate rest time, and proper use for recreation, adequate sleep
and nutrition, and the avoidance of stress.
Note: A pilot
should not operate a flight if he does not feel well.
In-flight Pilot Incapacitation Procedures
In general, the
aircraft must land, after declaring an emergency, as soon as practicable. I
will further give you an idea about how the remaining pilot manages incapacitation incidents.
It is the responsibility of the other pilot to ensure the aircraft is safe flying, then he must hold control immediately.
After that, he must call the senior cabin
crew members immediately to get assistance in managing the situation.
Care of the Incapacitated Pilot
Based on airline safety policy, the senior cabin crew should carry out the following pilot
incapacitation procedures (according to aircraft type):
- Tighten and manually lock the shoulder harness of the incapacitated pilot.
- Slide the seat fully aft.
- Recline the seatback.
The above steps
are required to remove the incapacitated pilot from the control panels.
After that, the
senior cabin crew must liaise with the other co-pilot on further actions and he
should do the following:
- First aid.
- Call for medical assistance on board.
- Removal of the incapacitated pilot from the flight deck, if advisable to prevent injury to the incapacitated pilot, and to avoid damage to interference with flight deck controls.
- Seeking the assistance of a type-qualified pilot on board to replace the incapacitated pilot. If there is no type-qualified pilot on board, the senior cabin crew must read the checklist for the remaining pilot if required.
Note. One cabin crew member must stay with the incapacitated pilot until
the aircraft has landed.
Summary
The term “pilot
incapacitation” means any reduction in medical fitness to a degree or of a
nature that is likely to jeopardize flight safety.
In addition,
the Incapacitation pilot incident adversely affects the health of a pilot and
renders him incapable of performing the assigned duties.
There are two
types of pilot incapacitation obvious incapacitation and subtle incapacitation.
Pilot incapacitation may occur as a result of many causes mentions above.
In case of any
pilot incapacitation incidents, the remaining pilot must hold control of
the aircraft and the senior cabin crew must apply the airline safety procedure related
to pilot incapacitation, in the operations manual.