You’re just a simple airline passenger when the worst possible case happens during in-flight: the Flight Captain died. Most people think that the Captain’s death might also be the end of the airplane itself. However, this will probably not happen, that is until anyone is available to fly the said airplane.
The truth is, the passenger plane has two pilots in order to make sure that somebody is available to fly the plane even if the Captain dies during the flight. To those who didn’t know, both the Captain and the first officer are very skilled in flying their airplane. The only thing that makes the Captain different from his first officer is none other but their own rank. Needless to say, if it isn’t for the rank, they are equal.
What Happens When the Captain Dies During the Flight?
So what happens when the Captain dies or gets sick during the flight? Listed below are the most possible things that the first officer will do:
- The first thing that the flight officer will do is for him to take the flight over as the main pilot before stating the situation towards the flight crew. Once oriented, the flight attendant/s will then make an announcement to the passengers, asking them if a commercial pilot is on board. If that one is available, the passenger will then be escorted right inside the cockpit where he or she will help the first officer during the flight by assisting him with the fight situations. Certain arrangements will be made in order not to cause panic among the rest of the passengers.
- If in case that a commercial pilot isn’t available, announcements will be made, asking the passengers whether somebody with a flight certificate is available.
- If a commercial pilot or someone with a flight certificate isn’t available, one of the flight attendants will be asked to help the first office during the flight since all of them are trained in this kind of situation.
Once done, the first officer will then assess the whole situation in order to determine whether the plane is in need of an emergency landing or not. If in case that the plane needs one, emergency landing procedures will be done during the flight. If it isn’t needed, the flight continues until everyone reaches the flight destination. It is also good pointing out that the flight passengers will be told to stay calm and buckled in their seats as much as possible