Aircraft

[lovejoy0120]

Has any pilot/former pilot out there ever had an emergency when flying and safely landed the plane?Every time I watch 'Air Crash Investigation' it nearly always ends in tears.

Thanks.

[heathfield]

Er, Clanad?

[Clanad]

Sure, and not only the real thing but emergencies that couldn't possibly have been practised a number of years ago since almost all training was done in an actual aircraft, are now practised to perfection in full motion simulators. Anomalies, such as the American Airlines Cali accident a number of years ago (listed here: http://sunnyday.mit.edu/accidents/calirep.html ) is the type of accident that pilots wake up suddenly at night thinking about. Aviation has changed dramatically over the years, for the better, and the equipment, both aircraft and computer controls is far superior to anything we had "in the good old days"...
By the way, the most challenging emergency still practised at every simulaton period, is the V1 cut. That's a simulated engine failure right at the "lift-off" speed when control is critical until sufficient airspeed airpeed is achieved.
The accident rates are at historical lows so it's not something the passengers have to worry about, by the way...

[tellboy]

When you have an emergency and come out of it safely you don't feature on Air Crash Investigation of course. I am only a humble PPL and my worst was an Airprox (called Air Miss in the press) with a military jet. We were both in the wrong according to the CAA report.

[sddsddean]

I used to fly gliders, where of course you really only get one chance to land (no hitting the power and going around again!). As my instructor always said, any landing is just a controlled crash and any landing you can walk away from is a good landing!

[tellboy]

Yes regarding landings....I am probably a below average competency pilot really but everyone comments on my beautiful landings. This is because my flying instructor had haemorrhoids and anything less than a perfect landing would cause screaming in the cockpit.