American Airlines FA replaces FO
 

(CNN) -- A flight attendant with a pilot's license ditched her normal duties and stepped in for a sick copilot of an American Airlines flight before the plane landed in Chicago, Illinois, airline officials said.
The first officer had become sick with "flulike" symptoms Monday, according to Tim Wagner, a spokesman for American Airlines. "He went back into the passenger cabin," he said. "That's when the captain began to solicit help from any passengers with a pilot's license."
One of the five flight attendants on board flight 1612 from San Francisco, California, told the captain that she is a commercial pilot, and she immediately took over the first officer's responsibilities, Wagner said.
The Chicago Tribune identified the flight attendant as Patti DeLuna, 61. American Airlines confirmed that DeLuna was the flight attendant who assisted Captain Jim Hunter with the landing.
"I was the best available [backup pilot] they had on the plane," DeLuna told the Tribune. "I spent a lot of time in the cockpit looking at the flight deck and asking questions. My first question to the captain was, 'Where are the brakes?'"
DeLuna received a commercial pilot's certificate in 1970. Her experience, about 300 flight hours, involved piloting a small Cessna, according to American Airlines spokeswoman Andrea Huguely. The flight's purser also had piloting experience, but the pilot selected DeLuna as the best candidate to assist.
"I felt terrible for the first officer," DeLuna told the Chicago Tribune. "But I was so excited. It was way more fun than serving meals from the galley."
DeLuna assisted Hunter, who has worked for American Airlines since 1977, with the landing checklist, Huguely said.
The plane, carrying 225 passengers and seven crew members, landed safely at O'Hare International Airport at 4:24 p.m. Monday.
"One pilot is fully capable of flying a 767. It's very sophisticated, it's equipped with an array of computers," Huguely said. "However, there's plenty of work for two pilots to do, especially when it's descending into a crowded airspace like O'Hare."
The first officer, who is based in Chicago, was immediately taken to the hospital by paramedics waiting on the ground. He was treated and released and was resting Tuesday, Wagner said.
"The entire incident was handled very well on all accounts," Wagner said.
DeLuna has been a flight attendant for 32 years, with more than 14 years experience with American Airlines. She is based in San Francisco, and the captain in St. Louis, Missouri.

Did she get double pay for the trip (FA+FO)?

The bigger question is "Did she get a senority number and is she in front of or behind the TWA and Egle guys?" Does she get DOH? ;)

So easy, even a flight attandent can do it.

Patti Deluna isn't in the FAA database with a pilot's license or commercial rating. Is this PR from AA?

Commercial-rated F/A
 

Yep, lots of them are a lot smarter than you give them credit for. I know of a few FA's that have Phd's and whatnot. We also have a few that were FA's went to the regionals and now are pilots. Now that is motivation. If they every hire again, I bet they hire her!

The database only has pilots with active medicals. If she hasn't had a medical in a while (ie, she's not actively flying on the side) she wouldn't show up.

Doesn't mean she doesn't have a pilot's license.

Am I the only pilot that would not bring up an ordinary passenger if the captain gets sick? Call me paranoid, but unless it's a jumpseater with an airline I.D. or a flight attendant, I believe it's a security risk. I'm perfectly capable of flying an Airbus by myself.

Opting Out
 

I thought one could opt out of having their FAA info publicly available?

Name Change
 

She may have had a name change since getting her last rating, and may not have updated the information.

Just because you are capable doesn't mean that another person can't help. It would take a load off.

How much help can they really be? An airline pilot can talk on the radio and help out a little. A passenger with a private pilots' license can't even do that. I would just as rather do it myself than try to explain something to someone who is awestruck. Security is my biggest issue. Who is to say the pilot was not poisoned?

Well, according to the article she's 61....so.....yeah, she's got 4 years left in her.


......thanks ALPA:rolleyes:

I would imagine carrying the load of having to supervise someone not trained, or recently experienced would be a lot greater than just doing it solo.

P.S. Although I agree in the notion that if you need help ask for it. If one of my pilots has done this, HE WOULD BE FIRED.

Um, are you all missing the point that she was part of the working crew? Not a random pax, and not likely to be "awed" by the mighty Boeing flight deck since she's been there before. Good resource management by the CA.

One of the corporate guys was talking about this in the hall outside my crm today, about how awesome CRM it was to use the FA as a copilot and that he had a commericial license and he would totally help... I was just thinking to myself that'd be more hinderance than help... I can remember how overwhelmed I felt the first time I was in a jet and that was after sim and I knew how to work everything. First leg of IOE I still felt like it was all I could do to do my stuff. Can you imagine doing that without any training, yeah real helpful. Now I guess it's good insurance to call and at least ask so that there's someone to open the door if the captain gets sick also. If you're both incapacitated and the door is locked we're screwed.

Private Pilot
 

Why can't a private pilot talk on the radio, read checklists, and watch for traffic for the "real" pilot? Respectfully, I think we might be painting with too broad a brush. Obviously it would depend on the experience level of the PPL.

You can opt to have your address hidden.

lol, its not quite that easy...Busy time O'Hare is a nightmare on the radios...
When I started I went there on my first leg of IOE and I think part of me may still be there

I agree that I'd rather do it myself than have to babysit somebody who didn't know what was going on. Hell, the Comm panels on half the planes I jumpseat on still confuse the hell out of me so having them monitor the radios would require training. Also, this FA is reported as asking questions such as "where are the brakes" when getting into the cockpit. Really, you have a commercial license and don't know where the brakes are? Granted, she could have assumed they were different than a Cessna but come on. How much help was she really. Only reason for her to be up there was to open the door to get the FO to man up and fly if the Captain keeled over suddenly.

Hi!

Read that at more than one Euro airline, the FAs are all trained to assist the pilots if they need help in the cockpit...standard training for everyone.

cliff
LFW

What do you consider an ordinary passenger?

USMCFLYR

I'm thinking it was the F/O's leg and the captain didn't want anyone whining about him taking all the landings. Maybe she landed it?

What about an active duty military pilot with an ATP, 4000+ total time and 1500+ hours in a heavy Boeing? :D They might make a decent copilot in a 767.

I have day dreamed this scenario hundreds of times. Wrong place wrong time again. Seems to be my mantra these days.

Agreed - again going back to what the PPL has seen (or heard)

73M (Landings @ DCA, ATL, IAD, CLT, RDU)

So did she get to log the time, or what? Does this count as her first leg of IOE?

Plenty. An experienced Captain can hand a person a check list and say "read what this says under each heading and I'll respond. Make sure my response is correct." It would take about 5 seconds to so this. Obviously we disagree on how much help one would be. The Captain wasn't bringing up someone with zero experience. Even private pilots know how to use checklists...remember?

Freaking airline pilots. "Oh, it's so hard. There's no way any mere mortal could talk on the radio or anything." Please. I know a 17 year old girl who has probably spent 1000 hrs in the right seat of her dads Citation. I'd be willing to bet she's AT LEAST as capable as that 300 hour wonder sitting in the right seat of that CRJ.

I am staggered by the elitist tone of some of these replies. Lest you forget that the "ordinary" passengers may be your best resource in an emergency. Some of us are high time military and civilian pilots with thousands of hours, ATP's, turbojet type ratings, and an awful lot of experience operating in and out of Chicago, NY, Etc. Much to our chagrin, we have to fly on the airlines (sorry, I digress), to move around for our jobs, which fly from the same airports as you. As for firing the Captain, how about firing you? Makes about as much sense as your comment.

Are you sure? I was able to pull up someone without a medical for the last 30 years.

Personally, I wouldnt make a PA asking for help. If there was a serious malfunction with the jet AND an incapacitated pilot, I may. But to land and electric jet and get to the gate in normal weather without an FO is a nonissue. I probably would ask the lead FA if she knew of any nonrevs onboard to ask about their status. Then potentially have an FA sit up in the cockpit incase I need anything. But what is the point of having them on the radios? Most likely, in the declared emergencey situation, there wont be significant talking and you would end up telling them what you want said anyway. This isnt just Monday morning QB. Its an easy decision IMHO. To say "I would fire my pilots for making that decision" would make me want to quit if I worked for someone that controlling and judgemental. And as far as it being elitist to say that you dont want a commercial pilot or a guy with a thousand hours in various AC, I think that is ridiculous. After many hours in the same jet, it fits like a glove. I dont need someone to read me a checklist after I get the checklist for them, find the correct section and tell them to read it. Its easier to fly the autopilot, take your time and read it yourself. Again, having someone in the cockpit would be a nice backup in case you both had the fish.

I would not classify high time military pilots and civilian pilots with thousands of hours as "ordinary" passengers. They would be a tremendous help due to their experience. I think what most people are saying is that they wouldn't let a low time guy/gal or a person with no experience up there because they wouldn't really be that much help. And I def agree with that.

Great demonstration of CRM… Utilization of a crewmember in any capacity the Captain deems appropriate based on experience and level of competency, and maintenance of situational awareness with limited distractions.

Hope the F/O has a speedy recovery from his illness as well.

Nobody said every flight is a mission to the moon, but don't act like any jackass could do it, either. Top gun over here..

Having somebody like that 300 hr commercial rated FA up there, who probably hasnt flown in years was probably more of a hinderance then a help. It would be much better if the Captain just stayed a Captain instead of giving himelf an additional role as a flight instructor to some old lady who is enjoying the view.

Get real. Its not like Bob Hoover went up there to help out.

Honestly speaking, debating this even further is stupid without knowing the competance and recency of said person. I know current commercial pilots who still have trouble talking on the radio and handling the Cherokee that they got their PPL on, much less yet being anything more then a hinderance in the right seat of a transport category airplane. Nothing wrong with her sitting up there, but if anything was to come up it would probably turn into more of a pain then anything else.

Folks, let's please get our facts straight:

The CA did NOT make a PA asking for "any passenger with pilot experience". He specifically called the F/As over the interphone asking for any non rev AA or OAL pilots.

Great use of CRM.

You're right. I stand corrected. I was able to pull up my father-in-law who hasn't flown in 25 years.

About 15 years ago, I used to work for a company that marketed to pilots. You could buy the database from the FAA (through a 3rd party vendor) for mailings. We were told that database only had pilots with active medicals, which made sense since you didn't want to spend postage on mailings to pilots who weren't flying anymore.

It looks like the database on the FAA web site is more comprehensive than the one you can buy, or things have changed since that time.

Wise up Stanley.

The captain did good. The F/A did good. I'd rather have a newhire F/A watch my back than some corporate nut-job with a couple beers in his belly and a chip on his shoulder for airline pilots.

There is NO WAY, barring the most dire circumstances, I would elect to bring an otherwise unauthorized passenger into the flight deck to assist with flight duties - no matter how 'qualified' they are. Not to mention good judgement and (our) specific FOM guidance, the use of an XCM or flight attendant is prudent and indicated. I would rather bring up the last and only F/A anyday of the week rather than Joe Q Public.

I don't fly for an airline, but I do have some experience at large airports. I have a commerical and I have a MEI so I woud like to think I could easily assist the captain if I were called on to do so. Having said that, I would sincerely doubt any airline pilot would ever accept help from someone not employed by the company. The unknown is too dangerous. Still, I think it's a bit unfair to say an experienced private pilot or someone who holds a commercial couldn't operate the radios and checklists. JMO.

Airplanes that are certified for two crew, really only require one. If they truely needed two, then three would be required. If you are incapable of handling an aircraft on your own in an emergency, then you should not being sitting in the pilot seat.
As I said in my statement, I was referring to the inexperienced.

It's so easy,...even a cave man can do it!:rolleyes: She was just keeping the chair warm.
fbh