Can a trained flight attendant land an airplane in an emergency

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Justin Foster Private Aviation Journalist | Simple Flying

By Sky Industry News

Jul 11, 2024

Flight attendants with flight training and a private pilot's license can potentially assist pilots in landing an aircraft during an emergency. They learn basic aircraft terminology and undergo pilot incapacitation training to safely remove ill or incapacitated pilots from their seats. If both pilots are incapacitated, flight attendants may need to communicate with air traffic control and receive guidance from a professional pilot on landing the aircraft.

Flight emergencies are rare but can occur. When one or more pilots are unable to fly the plane, cabin crew must seek assistance from fellow crew members or even passengers. A common question is whether flight attendants can land an airplane in an emergency. The answer varies depending on the individual's training.

Many flight attendants do not have interest or training in piloting, but some pursue flight training or achieve a private pilot's license, which could enable them to assist in landing the aircraft during an emergency.

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The responsibilities of a flight attendant include ensuring passenger safety and comfort, conducting pre-flight safety checks, greeting passengers, serving meals and beverages, presenting emergency equipment instructions, assisting passengers during emergencies, managing the cabin during flights, adhering to aviation regulations, and preparing incident reports.

During their training, flight attendants learn basic aircraft terminology to effectively communicate with the flight crew in emergencies. They also undertake 'pilot incapacitation training' to safely remove incapacitated pilots from their seats and assist the remaining pilot by reading checklists and using hand signals for communication.

It is not uncommon for some flight attendants to pursue pilot training while working as cabin crew. Having a private pilot's license provides basic flying knowledge that may be useful in extraordinary situations.

In cases where both pilots are lost for some reason—a highly unlikely scenario—flight attendants would need to communicate with air traffic control for guidance. There is also some capacity for using the aircraft's automatic landing capability under certain conditions.

In most real-life commercial or business aviation incidents, the remaining pilot will land the aircraft without issue but may receive help from a flight attendant if necessary. If a professional off-duty pilot is onboard, their skills will likely be utilized.

If both pilots are lost and no other option is available, a trained flight attendant could potentially take over with guidance from air traffic control or rely on auto-landing technology if available. In general aviation and smaller aircraft types, there have been incidents where passengers with little or no piloting knowledge have landed safely with outside guidance.

The approach phase involves descending towards the airport at correct rates and angles using instruments and visual cues. During touchdown, speed and altitude adjustments ensure that main wheels touch down correctly on the runway. Deceleration involves applying brakes and thrust reversers to bring the aircraft to a complete stop before reaching the end of the runway.

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