Prayers for the Air Canada Pilots

[CoyoteChris]

For the Air Canada Pilots who died with their feet on the brakes, possibly saving many lives as they gave their own....
I also feel sorry for the ATC person who was ordered to not only handle taxing airplanes and airport vehicles (ground control) but planes in the air as well.

 

[4everchan]

I read one of them was only 30 years old ...

 

[CoyoteChris]

I read one of them was only 30 years old ...

With the dirth of pilots, they come out of flight school and an airline will make them an offer...WE will build up your hours if you agree to fly with us for X number of years. Air transport ratings are very expensive to obtain. In this case, the Co-pilot was given the landing by the pilot and he did a great job, until the nose of the plane settled on the runway and the pilot saw what was happening. He said the same thing to his copilot that Sully said to Skyles..."My Airplane". he had exactly six seconds to try and bleed off enough energy to save as many people as he could. Planes have anti lock brakes for rain soaked runways so all he could do was press on the top of the rudders and pray. Did he try and avoid the crew cab of the fire truck? We may never know except for the cockpit tapes and data recorders.

 

[CoyoteChris]

As an aside, 60 minutes talked with one of the DCA controlers whose shift ended right before our figure skating family sustained a tragic loss.
You can watch it on line. Half the controlers who are offered positions at DCA turn them down when they see how unsafe they are. That runway is the busiest in the country, yet congress keeps adding flights to it. 60 min does a simulation of what the chopper pilot would have seen. There is no way they could have seen the jet untill the last few seconds....light polution. This is a govt owned airport and the head of the Ntsb and controllers union ripped congress a new one....yet Congress and the head of the FAA and the Transportation secretary still do practically nothing.
If you watch the interview, bring a box of kleenex. IIRC, a past Blackhawk pilot's son was the co pilot.