In-flight pilot incapacitation means the loss of one pilot while the second remaining one takes the control of aircraft alone because modern high-capacity aircraft are designed with the limitation of having a minimum of two operating pilots [ normally 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 members
may look well and be conscious, but with their brain only functioning
partially. They 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.
Pilot Incapacitation Causes
To list the most causes of
in-flight pilot capacitation, I referred to ICAO Doc 8984 (Table I-3-1)
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Furthermore, pilot incapacitation
may occur as a result of:
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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.
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 its 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 manage incapacitation incidents.
It is the responsibility of the
other pilot to ensure the aircraft is safe flying, then he must hold the
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:
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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 pilot on further actions and he should do the following:
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Note. One cabin crew member must stay with the
incapacitated pilot until the aircraft has landed.
Conclusion
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 the control of the aircraft and the senior cabin
crew must apply the airline safety procedure.
I did my best to explain this subject, I will
be happy if you add any information to update this article or by share it on social
media.
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