For all of you criticizing the #2 for his actions remember; There's very little extra room in the cockpit of that particular aircraft. Certainly not enough to manage to lift a grown man out of his seat without hazarding the safe navigation and operation of the aircraft itself. They probably had only a single FA and she had responsibilities in back as well as the fact that she/he simply may have not had the strength to lift the Captain up and over in order to do proper CPR. As for the taxi-v-waiting for paramedics; That aircraft does not have air stairs and it would have taken more time to safely ingress or egress without them. The #2 did exactly what I and most others in his situation would have done.
No wonder the right-seat pilot did so well, according to the e-mail he was a line-check airman, and a captain who trains captains. Very lucky to have such an experienced pilot on board, but super saddened to hear the loss of the pilot. RIP Captain Ford.
any First Officer would be able to fly the pattern and return to land a completely functional aircraft.. there is really not much heroic about that , the pilot did what he is trained to do every day - i.e. fly the airplane.
@@asho1735 From personal experience I can tell you that flying a jet rated for two pilots by yourself is not a walk in the park, even with the autopilot.
FOs are just as qualified to fly the airplane as a captain is. Even a first officer on his first day ever could operate and safely land the aircraft by themselves. We go through quite a lot of simulator training, and we’re hired with plenty of experience and training. The only real difference between a captain and a first officer is the extra stripe, their paycheck, and who’s in command.
Yes, but realize the startle factor that you go through in an emergency. Even with simulator training, you get limited experience with flying the real aircraft by yourself while your captain is dead. Check airmen at least get more practice, since even regular training for someone new ends up being like the work of 1.5 pilots for the check airman
What honestly surprise me a lot, is that even if he was the real captain and the other poor fellow was a first officer in training to be captain, he referred to him as "The Captain". Despite all the arrogance pilots usually have, the complete "go by the book" training and the humblness of this "fake" first officer has been really remarkable, and a nice tribute to the other person.
@@MrMarcec85 The Captain flying was probably getting checked out as a new Captain. Even if he is doing IOE (Initial Operating Experience Training) with an IOE Captain in the right seat he IS a captain and is not an F/O anymore (so there is no reason to refer to him as an F/O since he is a Captain doing IOE). If he were getting checked out as an F/O he wouldn't have been referred to as the Captain.
@@aviation_muc480 Sounds like they were doing CPR on the Captain the whole time he was making his way back to the airport so quicker to get him back to the gate and let the paramedics take over. Awful situation to be in, but he handled it like a hero.
@@Yokovich_ you got the point. He was a line checker, much more experienced and the Captain who sadly passed away was on his check flight. All mentioned in the red box at the end.
@@Zerbey The deceased captain was still in his seat until they got onto the runway, and I don't see it being practical to be able to brace into a position to deliver compressions while still in front of the controls including a flight yoke - so I doubt CPR was in progress until the check captain got him out of the seat at the earliest.
For many of you that are nervous of flying, have family or friends that are nervous flyers. This tragedy serves as a positive reminder to the high standards of training that airline pilots are held to. Our thoughts go out to the loved ones of Captain Ford and our praises go to Captain Hendrickson for keeping the lives of his crew and passengers safe. RIP Captain Ford.
Training doesn't always equate to the value of experience, and putting that training into practice or adapting it for how you fly. They are running short of pilots because all the little inbetween jobs that gained you money and flight time are gone. No more Beech 18s flying processed checks to a bank headquarters overnight for example.
Interesting aside, the new voice you hear at the end was a passenger. Taxiing around ORD is a big effort, so once they got the incapacitated pilot out of his seat, they probably pulled a jump-seating pilot up front to help with the radios, which is why you hear a very confused "Execjet... uh Envoy" call at the end.
Sincere condolences to the captain. I cannot imagine being in that scenario. Amazing calmness and professionalism shown by all parties, especially the FO. Respect.
That F/O was a captain in charge of training other pilots, for the position of Captain. He was no ordinary F/O. Priorities are always the aircraft and the passengers., in that order.
As a check airman, I guess it makes sense that he could more easily handle the aircraft on his own, since they frequently have to do the job of 1.5 pilots while trainees aren't confident yet. Still, having to do everything, in busy airspace, plus the startle and fear factor over the captain's well being, this could not have been easy. Very traumatic to find the person you're supposed to be training sitting dead next to you. I hope the check airman can find comfort and come to realize that he did the best job he could, even though it ended badly for the captain. RIP Cap
I agree. He had to be caught off guard in the first place, and traumatized that it happened in the first place. But, professional all the way. Rest in Peace Capt Ford, and kudos to Captain Hendickson for his quick thinking in handling the situation.
@@spelldaddy5386 - better prepared? Realistically no. This isn’t an event that you can prepare for. Flying such a plane is pretty straight forward, even single pilot. The key is not to rush, as demonstrated here.
@@EdOeuna a check airman is prepared in that they frequently have to take over the aircraft from a trainee (or at least be ready to), if a trainee messes up too badly. They may well have to fly the aircraft by themselves until the situation is recovered and the trainee can resume control. While not the same as a true emergency, it does prepare the check airman for this more than standard simulator training that a FO/captain would get. I'm not saying an FO can't do it, only that a check airman is likely better prepared
RIP Captain Ford, fly high. Imo, this excelent FO/Captain's voice is full of sadness. To me it feels as if he is staying calm, getting everyone to safety while being chocked with emotions.
Captain Ford, may your westward flight into the sunset be soft and gentle and may your family be held close. Shine an eternal light on a check airman who will need comforted as well.
Always amazed and at the calm and professionalism shown by ATC and pilots everywhere. Such a sad event, looks like everyone did their jobs well. RIP, Captain...
Few things sadder than downgrading a medevac from "Urgent" to "Convenience". He was probably gone before the FO made the right-hand turn to final. RIP.
He’s probably working at least two comms frequencies. Getting operations to assign him a return gate while he’s flying and talking with ATC, not to mention setting up the approach and landing data. Not easy to do under pressure-well done sir
Probably not. Everything can be relayed through ATC regarding the type of emergency, informing the company and gate allocation. It’s simply get the aircraft on the ground as soon as can be done, safely.
@@yohonomoe5095 - anything could be used as a scenario, but in reality the pilot will be busy just flying the plane; so having multiple conversations with people won’t be likely.
I was on this flight, it was terrifying. I thought we were going to crash after we started descending once we took off, no announcement til we touched down and the captain was pulled from the cockpit. There was a flight attendant and doctor doing chest compressions and using an AED. The pilot, who was 54 did not make it. They got us a new plane and we made it to Columbus at around 2 am.
@@davidlankster9698 There's always two pilots in such commercial flights. In this particular case the other pilot was a line checker, which is a more senior pilot who was checking out the one who passed.
Great details, thanks. Shows he got care as fast as possible - they couldn't start resuscitating until on the ground given the small cockpit and difficulty getting an unconscious grown man out of the seat while flying (too dangerous to the whole flight), the pilot immediately stopped the plane so that CPR and the AED could start, paramedics wouldn't be able to do much more even if they were present. Waiting for paramedics or speeding to the gate would both have been less effective.
I hope this puts to rest this business of commercial single pilot operations, but you know it won't. This incident will be shelved and forgotten, placed down the memory hole. The pilot flying did a great job, and I wouldn't have expected anything less from a professional.
@@VladimirNicolici If an airline wants to go out of business, they're all but guaranteed to if they try to eliminate pilots from their cockpits and intend to find get passengers willing to get on a totally automated aircraft. As one who has been in the aviation industry for quite a few years, the scenario that you've outlined sounds great on paper but is not nearly as realistic or safe in reality. Emergency Autoland is great for a single-pilot light jet (more or less) but putting it to mass use in airliners, in crowded and controlled airspace, and getting people to accept it? Good luck.
This is exactly why you WOULDNT want a single pilot commercial aircraft. That pilot has a stroke/heart attack, it’s not just him/her, it’s the whole airplane.
Well, he died, doing what he loved ! That is why we always need 2 pilots. There are talks about cutting it down to one and that is insane. It will not fly ! People will not board an airplane that has only one pilot !!!!!! Totally ridiculous, even if they replace one of them by a robot !!!!!! I expect, it is the ultimate plan. We are going in that direction.
Not only Ryan Air, quite a few in Europe and Asia as well. Single piloting was a local news story here in Australia earlier this week, I to hope they see this story.
@@6z0 I know what PF means. That’s what he became if it were otherwise moments before. I added the LCA because typically they’re more prepared to react due to their experience.
Well it would be hard if they had known each other, prior to that flight. Never fun to watch someone die, next to you. The line captain could easily control the plane from the right seat until they were on the ground and he needed to steer from the left seat; which he did. They had to remove the pilot from his seat. We heard the flight attendants were working on him, but they left him in his seat ? Hard to do chest compressions that way. Strange.
"S Mark Grab a dictionary look up anecdotal" I don't need to. It means something told without evidence that isn't necessarily true. " I have written test results, ergo,,,,," LOL! That comment itself is ANECDOTAL. Smh...
Quite, if they put a single pilot and are then reliant on technology for safety, well, we know how that's gone just this past year alone ! Electric automated cars out of control, oh yes, it'll be....( comment deleted by the computer on my left ) 🤦
@@smark1180 Wrong thread clown, 0 out of 10 for attention to detail. Plus you really don't understand double negatives do you? Leave that to the grown ups.
I saw a story on the news last night about the airlines considering short flights with only 1 pilot in the effort to "save money" This ridiculous suggestion would obviously never be approved by the FAA and this event is a perfect example of why such an idea in totally insane.
LOL haven’t you watched what has happened to the world in the past couple of years? The FAA will do anything global elites tell them to. Including push a shot on pilots which causes myocarditis and heart attacks.
There is a reason there are two pilots in the airlines and we should never forget that! Yes, the FO is supposed to be able to do what Captain Hendrickson did, however, how many could? (Sub 2,000 hour FO's think it is easy has been my experience). At the regionals, to be able to do a 15 minute planned flight, that is tough. What happened here is a pilot being the pilot monitoring (guess since in training), at night, single pilot, flight attendants in the back, keeping them informed, taking off and landing at one of the most busiest airports around and in about eight minutes. Able to stay calm, mentally strong, and to fly the plane. Looking at the flight track, wow, nearly perfect! Let's not forget ATC... they hit it out of the park as well. ORD is some of the best in the world on the radio. Moving other landing traffic out of the way to get him in that quick is amazing. CA Ford, RIP.
How freaking sad.poor guy.i bet his last thoughts was worrying about everyone else onboard.at least he passed away doing what he loved best.fly high capt! RIP
Omg how sad. Man ole man we never know when it's our turn. Man my thoughts are with all involved and this captain's family. I'm sooooo sorry for your loss. Great job Co-p you do is a wonderful job under the circumstances. GREAT JOB. God bless everyone of ya.
Man, this sucks. Rest in peace, Captain Ford. This can happen to anyone, so get your health checked regularly, especially basic stuff like blood tests, blood pressure and ECG and try to learn how to do CPR in order to help others.
Good training leads to professional actions. Well done 👍🏻 Note to other comments; it dus not matter what rank or function the guys was. It’s professional behaviour learned by good training. Every pilot co or cap would do this.
Eternal rest grant unto Patrick Ford, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen 🙏🏼☦️💙 Kudos to the other Captain, who handled this emergency with meticulous precision.
Sincere condolences. FO did a great job handling a harrowing situation. This could have turned out a lot worse. Glad the plane and passengers made it back safely. RIP.
Condolences to the Captain's family. I was a Large Flight Ops Inspector for many years, and often during simulator check rides, I would have the Captain or F/O simulate sudden death at Vr. One very keen F/O followed the SOP when the captain stopped responding, and immediately assumed control, continued the take-off and once at a safe altitude, requested a pay increase from Dispatch...
I've only had to do that once in the sim playing the FO. As fun as it was I did try to take it seriously. He "died" on me when I was flying 15 minutes later but I had more than a good idea what the sim instructor was up to. The same guy took 4 of us on his "outside of the box" session during very early IOE. The entire brief was he was going to time wheels off to wheels on. First guy flies the tightest pattern an A320 has ever flown and lands it flapless at some ridiculous speed. Second guy takes off, takes full flap and does this turn back onto the parallel in the opposite direction, better time. Third guy, some genius Kiwi who had come from bush flying rotates and slams the thing down nose wheel first, the instructor had to pause the sim to stop it careening into Hong Kong harbour with the thrust levers still at the firewall and causing a fairly interesting reset. The instructor loved it but I was so bummed because it couldn't be topped. He let me try something fun instead, can't remember but it was something like a single engine take off with a stupid headwind or something. He was awesome, we'd get the serious stuff done and if the sim was free he would want the guys to have a play with some stupid brief.
@@smark1180 I spotted one other later on, a phrase that was missing from the captions, but didn't feel it was worth reporting. If there was anything else, I either considered it too trivial for me to even remember or I missed it.
@@randallmarsh1187 who really knows...The HA often comes without warning, so no preparation, no goodbyes. I've seen both, not sure what is the best in general.
@@shuki1 Agree - my dad died 4 months after cancer diagnosis, I always feared he would die suddenly. The "long goodbye" wasn't easy but I think it was better.
Outstanding job by the second Captain. He made the right call to taxi to the gate. It is much faster to get medical assistance at the gate than out in the middle of nowhere on a taxiway several miles from the terminal. Plus, once you get the Captain out of the cockpit after landing, flight attendants or medical professional on board can use the AED defibrillator equipment to try to stabilize the crewmember. I wonder how old the flying Captain was? RIP
I remember an episode of Air crash investigations where a plane crashed following the incapacitation of the captain. The FO got overwhelmed + a technical issue with the plane, and everyone on board died. It is very sad for that pilot, but at least the remaining pilot did an exemplary job of bringing everyone else safely to the ground. Had it been an unexperienced first officer, things might have turned out even sadder.
First off, Condolences to the Captain. Nothing but blue skies and tailwinds for him and his family. Secondly, I have to say that the LCA in this instance did what he had to do, and that included utilizing a Netjets pilot to run comms for the LCA at the very end while they taxied to the gate. For those ever scared or nervous to fly, this is what pilots are made of in any event or scenario. It doesn't matter if its 3 or 4 stripes, they are paid and well trained to handle every single scenario.
Very sad. Rest in peace, and prayers for his loved ones. Please don't nistake this as glib -- he passed doing what he loved. Deepest condolences to his family.
So sorry to hear of the lost of the Captain. My condolences. Great job to the Check Airman. Great that he was onboard. We once had a situation coming out of London Heathrow. Our Captain just passed out while going through security... But thank God we had a Check Airman that was non revving. He flew us home. The Captain was fine.
What a sad set of circumstances.. but the first officer showing heroism by staying in control and flying the plane safely first and then doing what it takes to get back on the ground safe… First officer really should be a captain … He deserves to be ;)
The concluding statement in the video says the pilot who took over was not an FO. The pilot who died was a trainee captain, the other pilot was the check captain supervising him.
He is a Captain. #2 on the flight was a Line Check Airman, Captain Brandon Hendrickson. he was training the left seat pilot that passed away so that he could become a Captain.
@@cageordie it’s obvious by radio comms that An exec jet pilot came up to help and was on the radio after they had continued taxi. 15k hours in heavy jets, I probably have a pretty good idea what is going on. He did an excellent job, as I’d expect a pilot of his level to do.!! Again, bravo, and tailwinds Captain. God Bless.
My heart is full of sadness I have high respect for all those brave pilots who sacrifice their lives everyday to get us safely to and from our destinations My sincerest condolences
Condolences to Captain Ford's family. From listening to the radio transmissions it would appear that Captain Ford suffered a massive heart attack & died almost instantaneously since his right seat said that Ford was collapsed and out. Very calm & professional operation during this emergency.
That is why we need 2 pilots in the cockpit, flying the aircraft at all times. I read somewhere some 3 years ago that they would cut away the second pilot... only 1 pilot needed. No thanks. I wouldnt fly onboard the aircraft if I knew that it was to be piloted only by 1 pilot. No thanks. I'll see myself disembark immediately, thank you.
We lost a one pilot flight from Kelowna and the age of pilots is climbing. We'll probably never know the pilot (in his sixties) could have had a medical issue. My HS friend was always going to be a pilot, and achieved it for small planes (Grumman Goose; sighting for swordfish, etc) and he was only 28 when he was due for work, and told his dad he needed to lay down on his couch. He never woke up. That was after the required medicals never showed anything. The whole Boy Scout troop showed up to carry his passing, way too soon.
ORD could do better than to give no fewer than 3 frequency changes to a single seat pilot dealing with an incapacitated partner at a critical phase of flight. Pilot is nearly on workload saturation already...
towers\ isn't on freq with the other 12 aircraft lined tip on the 28C ILS, the approach controller is, who has to coordinate steering alll the other planes out of the way. approach controller can't clear the plane to land. that's the tower controller. so. tower-approach-tower. get a clue to what you're talking about before you criticize. this is standard
@@jaykay6412 Nothing is standard when your partner dies on takeoff, Mr. Keyboard Warrior. It's not unheard of to assign an isolated frequency to an emergency aircraft and should be especially doable at a facility such as ORD who no doubt has supervisors on duty who could accommodate and coordinate between controllers. He barely left the pattern, was flying the plane solo, handling the comms, coordinating FA assistance, and dealing with a dying man next to him simultaneously - you think that tower saying "stay with me until you're on the ground, we'll get everyone out of your way" wouldn't be helpful?
@@jaykay6412 yeah when it's emergency aircraft everyone else can go away if they need to that's how it works. In this case FO seemed comfortable to stay but was within rights to just say he's making visual approach to whatever runway he wants and and whoever is listening can get all the other traffic out of the way. Props to him for handling without needing to do that but that's the right of aircraft in emergency.
I have Been following this channel lately and I notice a lot of stuff is going on in the skies - the second pilot sounds relaxed and calm he said yea I can handle this by myself
If conditions were VMC you do not contact departure. You declare an emergency and INFORM the tower you will be turning a downwind at 1500 ft AGL and land ASAP. Minutes were lost. I have done that at PHL in a DC 9 with a passenger vomiting blood. I didn't even have to declare an emergency. The tower said fly a left downwind and you're cleared to land. 1985
Sounds like an FA took the right seat during taxi back. Well handed by the FO, fortunate to have an LCA onboard during a pretty hectic takeoff. Condolences to the Captain's family.
I was thinking there may have been a third pilot in the cockpit since it was a check ride and that’s who we heard on the radio at the end. I wouldn’t expect an FA to handle the radios
there was no FO, as I understand it. The incapacitated captain was actually a captain-in-training, and the pilot in the right seat was actually a line check airman.
Condolences to the Captain's family . R.I.P. 🙏 Also to his co worker's. Great job to his cockpit partner ( no disrespect, that's what I call them ) that was so very calm and let his training kick in for situations such as this. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
So sad…my sincere condolences for the Capt. and his family…so much credit goes directly to FO, pilots just don’t get the respect they need and $$$ they deserve! Rev. 21:3,4
What an awful situation with few clear options. I don't know if Hendrickson knew this was a heart attack situation. Was Captain Ford breathing after he was stricken? The obvious thing to do here, if it was clear he'd had a heart attack, would be to start CPR but how do you do that in this situation? If the comments of others are true, there might have been a single flight attendant onboard. The FA can't handle this alone and Hendrickson needs to keep flying and get the plane on the ground ASAP. Do you alert passengers and ask for medical personnel and physical help getting him lifted out and on the floor to start resuscitation? That's a tough call to announce right after takeoff the Captain has had a heart attack, someone come up here and help us. I think Captain Ford had a massive MI and Hendrickson knew he was dead. Just a feeling from his tone of voice. He certainly sounded like there was no rush to get to the gate after he landed the plane. They didn't crash and they got down as soon as possible. That's saying an awful lot given these terrible circumstances! RIP
![[REAL ATC] JFK airport has TWO SIMULTANEOUS EMERGENCIES!](/img/1.gif)
Very sad. Fly high, Captain.
Please leave your condolences here.
So sad. Great work by FO. RIP Cap!
RIP
Fly high Captain. Thoughts are with family and friends.
Pilots don't die, they just fly higher. RIP
RIP Captain Ford.
For all of you criticizing the #2 for his actions remember; There's very little extra room in the cockpit of that particular aircraft. Certainly not enough to manage to lift a grown man out of his seat without hazarding the safe navigation and operation of the aircraft itself. They probably had only a single FA and she had responsibilities in back as well as the fact that she/he simply may have not had the strength to lift the Captain up and over in order to do proper CPR. As for the taxi-v-waiting for paramedics; That aircraft does not have air stairs and it would have taken more time to safely ingress or egress without them. The #2 did exactly what I and most others in his situation would have done.
the #2 was actually a line-check captain, so he probably literally wrote the book on what to do in that situation
Literally no one here is criticizing anyone
@@AK-rx6hv You need to read further....
@@Dr.KennethNoisewater I work at ohare, they always have emergency air stairs ready for every incident so that’s not an excuse
@@AHomelessDorito not sure why you replied to me
No wonder the right-seat pilot did so well, according to the e-mail he was a line-check airman, and a captain who trains captains. Very lucky to have such an experienced pilot on board, but super saddened to hear the loss of the pilot. RIP Captain Ford.
any First Officer would be able to fly the pattern and return to land a completely functional aircraft.. there is really not much heroic about that , the pilot did what he is trained to do every day - i.e. fly the airplane.
@@asho1735 From personal experience I can tell you that flying a jet rated for two pilots by yourself is not a walk in the park, even with the autopilot.
FOs are just as qualified to fly the airplane as a captain is.
Even a first officer on his first day ever could operate and safely land the aircraft by themselves.
We go through quite a lot of simulator training, and we’re hired with plenty of experience and training.
The only real difference between a captain and a first officer is the extra stripe, their paycheck, and who’s in command.
@@byronhenry6518 Agree to disagree.
Yes, but realize the startle factor that you go through in an emergency. Even with simulator training, you get limited experience with flying the real aircraft by yourself while your captain is dead. Check airmen at least get more practice, since even regular training for someone new ends up being like the work of 1.5 pilots for the check airman
That pilot is a line check captain for a reason. It doesn't get much more pro than that.
What honestly surprise me a lot, is that even if he was the real captain and the other poor fellow was a first officer in training to be captain, he referred to him as "The Captain". Despite all the arrogance pilots usually have, the complete "go by the book" training and the humblness of this "fake" first officer has been really remarkable, and a nice tribute to the other person.
Nonsense..I have seen line check pilots of no good use ..
@@MrMarcec85 The Captain flying was probably getting checked out as a new Captain. Even if he is doing IOE (Initial Operating Experience Training) with an IOE Captain in the right seat he IS a captain and is not an F/O anymore (so there is no reason to refer to him as an F/O since he is a Captain doing IOE).
If he were getting checked out as an F/O he wouldn't have been referred to as the Captain.
Vaccine related heart attack. Forcing pilots to take jabs puts passengers at risk
@@stevej02 did you make the autopsy?
The first officer sounds so relaxed and managed the whole landing by himself. RIP captain.
@@aviation_muc480 Sounds like they were doing CPR on the Captain the whole time he was making his way back to the airport so quicker to get him back to the gate and let the paramedics take over. Awful situation to be in, but he handled it like a hero.
He wasn't an FO. He's a captain evaluating the other pilot for a promotion to captain. Probably a very senior pilot in the company and he showed it.
@@Yokovich_ you got the point. He was a line checker, much more experienced and the Captain who sadly passed away was on his check flight. All mentioned in the red box at the end.
@@Zerbey The deceased captain was still in his seat until they got onto the runway, and I don't see it being practical to be able to brace into a position to deliver compressions while still in front of the controls including a flight yoke - so I doubt CPR was in progress until the check captain got him out of the seat at the earliest.
Not relaxed, professional.
For many of you that are nervous of flying, have family or friends that are nervous flyers. This tragedy serves as a positive reminder to the high standards of training that airline pilots are held to.
Our thoughts go out to the loved ones of Captain Ford and our praises go to Captain Hendrickson for keeping the lives of his crew and passengers safe.
RIP Captain Ford.
Vaccine related heart attack. Forcing pilots to take jabs puts passengers at risk
Training doesn't always equate to the value of experience, and putting that training into practice or adapting it for how you fly. They are running short of pilots because all the little inbetween jobs that gained you money and flight time are gone. No more Beech 18s flying processed checks to a bank headquarters overnight for example.
High standards hahahahahahahahah oh Lord, yeah like color of your skin and sex….
At least he was able to see to his dream even if it was only a few second.
You forgot flight attendants, too!!!!
Interesting aside, the new voice you hear at the end was a passenger. Taxiing around ORD is a big effort, so once they got the incapacitated pilot out of his seat, they probably pulled a jump-seating pilot up front to help with the radios, which is why you hear a very confused "Execjet... uh Envoy" call at the end.
Yes, it was another airline pilot.
You can hear his original call sign so it gives away who he works for. Probably riding in the back and assisted the LCA getting the airplane parked.
@@willfagundes1552 Yep, you're one of the few who caught that. According to my source he was a passenger.
ATC and FO professionals…ORD airspace is complex and busy!
Execjet. He was a net jets guy
Sincere condolences to the captain. I cannot imagine being in that scenario. Amazing calmness and professionalism shown by all parties, especially the FO. Respect.
That F/O was a captain in charge of training other pilots, for the position of Captain. He was no ordinary F/O. Priorities are always the aircraft and the passengers., in that order.
As a check airman, I guess it makes sense that he could more easily handle the aircraft on his own, since they frequently have to do the job of 1.5 pilots while trainees aren't confident yet. Still, having to do everything, in busy airspace, plus the startle and fear factor over the captain's well being, this could not have been easy. Very traumatic to find the person you're supposed to be training sitting dead next to you. I hope the check airman can find comfort and come to realize that he did the best job he could, even though it ended badly for the captain. RIP Cap
I agree. He had to be caught off guard in the first place, and traumatized that it happened in the first place. But, professional all the way. Rest in Peace Capt Ford, and kudos to Captain Hendickson for his quick thinking in handling the situation.
FO’s are more than capable of flying the plane single handed too. It was fortunate that the right hand seat pilot was a training Captain.
@@EdOeuna they are capable of flying, sure, but a check airman will be better prepared and stay more calm
@@spelldaddy5386 - better prepared? Realistically no. This isn’t an event that you can prepare for. Flying such a plane is pretty straight forward, even single pilot. The key is not to rush, as demonstrated here.
@@EdOeuna a check airman is prepared in that they frequently have to take over the aircraft from a trainee (or at least be ready to), if a trainee messes up too badly. They may well have to fly the aircraft by themselves until the situation is recovered and the trainee can resume control. While not the same as a true emergency, it does prepare the check airman for this more than standard simulator training that a FO/captain would get. I'm not saying an FO can't do it, only that a check airman is likely better prepared
RIP Captain Ford, fly high. Imo, this excelent FO/Captain's voice is full of sadness. To me it feels as if he is staying calm, getting everyone to safety while being chocked with emotions.
That’s a guarantee.
Yep hearing his voice made me tear eyed not gonna lie u can feel it
Captain Ford, may your westward flight into the sunset be soft and gentle and may your family be held close. Shine an eternal light on a check airman who will need comforted as well.
Amen.
@@beachbum77979 I agree. Amen.
Wow, well spoken, made me sad, RIP Captain Ford.....
Ah yes, because dead people read RUclips comments. 🙄
Ring the" bell," so he gets to read your comment.....
Always amazed and at the calm and professionalism shown by ATC and pilots everywhere. Such a sad event, looks like everyone did their jobs well. RIP, Captain...
Hard to have a better guy next to you in an emergency. Condolences to the deceased's family and friends...
You can totally hear when the FO realizes the captain is already gone 😢
Sounded totally different when reality of the situation hit him. I wish he was my captain for every flight.
@@hutzman7664 there's a LOT of great pilots out there.
Few things sadder than downgrading a medevac from "Urgent" to "Convenience". He was probably gone before the FO made the right-hand turn to final. RIP.
@@hutzman7664I was on this flight sadly, whitenessed the chest compressions in the isle, horrifying experience but lucky to have the captain we did.
I got the point when he said He's out.
Absolute professional. Love to see when people handle an emergency so calmly. Hero.
He’s probably working at least two comms frequencies. Getting operations to assign him a return gate while he’s flying and talking with ATC, not to mention setting up the approach and landing data. Not easy to do under pressure-well done sir
Probably not. Everything can be relayed through ATC regarding the type of emergency, informing the company and gate allocation. It’s simply get the aircraft on the ground as soon as can be done, safely.
@@EdOeuna either of our scenarios are “probable”.
@@yohonomoe5095 - anything could be used as a scenario, but in reality the pilot will be busy just flying the plane; so having multiple conversations with people won’t be likely.
@@EdOeuna I guess I will concede to your experience. It looks like you are a pilot. After all I’m just a cat.
@@yohonomoe5095 - I’ve just fed a stray cat 2 tins of cat food. It wasn’t you was it?
Sad ending but incredibly professional pilot and ATC in a high stress situation
I was on this flight, it was terrifying. I thought we were going to crash after we started descending once we took off, no announcement til we touched down and the captain was pulled from the cockpit. There was a flight attendant and doctor doing chest compressions and using an AED. The pilot, who was 54 did not make it. They got us a new plane and we made it to Columbus at around 2 am.
How did manage to get another pilot into the cockpit? If I may ask….
@@davidlankster9698 There's always two pilots in such commercial flights. In this particular case the other pilot was a line checker, which is a more senior pilot who was checking out the one who passed.
Great details, thanks. Shows he got care as fast as possible - they couldn't start resuscitating until on the ground given the small cockpit and difficulty getting an unconscious grown man out of the seat while flying (too dangerous to the whole flight), the pilot immediately stopped the plane so that CPR and the AED could start, paramedics wouldn't be able to do much more even if they were present. Waiting for paramedics or speeding to the gate would both have been less effective.
After they were on the ground. The third person was a passenger who is a pilot.@@davidlankster9698
Wonder if he got the jab…
I hope this puts to rest this business of commercial single pilot operations, but you know it won't. This incident will be shelved and forgotten, placed down the memory hole. The pilot flying did a great job, and I wouldn't have expected anything less from a professional.
@@VladimirNicolici If an airline wants to go out of business, they're all but guaranteed to if they try to eliminate pilots from their cockpits and
intend to find get passengers willing to get on a totally automated aircraft. As one who has been in the aviation industry for quite a few years, the scenario
that you've outlined sounds great on paper but is not nearly as realistic or safe in reality. Emergency Autoland is great for a single-pilot light jet
(more or less) but putting it to mass use in airliners, in crowded and controlled airspace, and getting people to accept it? Good luck.
This is exactly why you WOULDNT want a single pilot commercial aircraft. That pilot has a stroke/heart attack, it’s not just him/her, it’s the whole airplane.
Condolences to the captain’s family. A thoroughly professional handling of the situation.
Well, he died, doing what he loved ! That is why we always need 2 pilots. There are talks about cutting it down to one and that is insane. It will not fly ! People will not board an airplane that has only one pilot !!!!!! Totally ridiculous, even if they replace one of them by a robot !!!!!! I expect, it is the ultimate plan. We are going in that direction.
man that's sad. the FO was so calm considering what was happening. Fly high Capt
Truth is the first officer would only know the captain was UNresponsive NOT dead
Every time Ryan Air floats their proposal for single-pilot flights, they should review this incident
Not only Ryan Air, quite a few in Europe and Asia as well. Single piloting was a local news story here in Australia earlier this week, I to hope they see this story.
and, sadly, suicidal pilots are rare but there
Ryan Air allows 250hr FOs. They already are single pilot
Hats off to the PF, it must have been his hardest flight ever. Fly high, Captain Ford! Condolences from Germany.
He was a Line Check Airman. But yes, hard to imagine being in that seat at that time.
@@bhawkpilot4714PF: Pilot Flying. He never said the pilot wasn’t a line check airman.
@@6z0 I know what PF means. That’s what he became if it were otherwise moments before. I added the LCA because typically they’re more prepared to react due to their experience.
Well it would be hard if they had known each other, prior to that flight. Never fun to watch someone die, next to you. The line captain could easily control the plane from the right seat until they were on the ground and he needed to steer from the left seat; which he did. They had to remove the pilot from his seat. We heard the flight attendants were working on him, but they left him in his seat ? Hard to do chest compressions that way. Strange.
As tragic as this is, imagine the tragedy if this had been a single pilot operation as is currently being pushed by airlines.
God speed Sir.
"S Mark Grab a dictionary look up anecdotal"
I don't need to. It means something told without evidence that isn't necessarily true.
" I have written test results, ergo,,,,,"
LOL! That comment itself is ANECDOTAL. Smh...
Quite, if they put a single pilot and are then reliant on technology for safety, well, we know how that's gone just this past year alone !
Electric automated cars out of control, oh yes, it'll be....( comment deleted by the computer on my left ) 🤦
@@smark1180 Wrong thread clown, 0 out of 10 for attention to detail. Plus you really don't understand double negatives do you? Leave that to the grown ups.
"Wrong thread clown"
The original thread is not available when I reply to the email notice, so I replied here.
F-off with your juvenile insults.
Airlines push it for financing reasons. But they know it's not gonna happen. End of story.
That's a shame about the Captain. That co-pilot sure took care of business. God bless them.
I saw a story on the news last night about the airlines considering short flights with only 1 pilot in the effort to "save money" This ridiculous suggestion would obviously never be approved by the FAA and this event is a perfect example of why such an idea in totally insane.
The possibility of FAA approval is higher than you think, unfortunately. Not high, but definitely not “oh, hayull no!”
LOL haven’t you watched what has happened to the world in the past couple of years? The FAA will do anything global elites tell them to. Including push a shot on pilots which causes myocarditis and heart attacks.
There is a reason there are two pilots in the airlines and we should never forget that! Yes, the FO is supposed to be able to do what Captain Hendrickson did, however, how many could? (Sub 2,000 hour FO's think it is easy has been my experience). At the regionals, to be able to do a 15 minute planned flight, that is tough. What happened here is a pilot being the pilot monitoring (guess since in training), at night, single pilot, flight attendants in the back, keeping them informed, taking off and landing at one of the most busiest airports around and in about eight minutes. Able to stay calm, mentally strong, and to fly the plane. Looking at the flight track, wow, nearly perfect! Let's not forget ATC... they hit it out of the park as well. ORD is some of the best in the world on the radio. Moving other landing traffic out of the way to get him in that quick is amazing.
CA Ford, RIP.
Thumbs up for the co-pilot for keeping his cool and staying calm, flying the plane, handling the radio while his colleague is out
Pilots always keep their cool.. It is all part of the training, years back......
Outstanding professionalism and airmanship on every level from everyone involved.
Rest in Peace. Thank you for keeping the skies safe.
There’s one very good reason to have a tiller for nose wheel steering on both sides of the cockpit. Superb job by the PF, and RIP to Captain Ford.
Agree. Any idea which acft have tiller on right side in addition to left? I’m unaware of any presently.
@@flyingphobiahelp All Airbus FBW aircraft have two tillers. WIth Boeing it varies by model, and it can be custom optioned by the customer.
@@y.s.miller4109 live and learn. Thanks!
Condolences for the family of the Captain. The first Officer did an awesome job of stay professional and calm during this time. Hats off to him.
Saddened to hear about the captain, excellent job by the first officer getting the plane down fast and safe.
Great airmanship, both pilot and ATC
Everyone was so incredibly professional in their responses.
How freaking sad.poor guy.i bet his last thoughts was worrying about everyone else onboard.at least he passed away doing what he loved best.fly high capt! RIP
Tears in my eyes!
R.I.P. Captain Ford.
I was working in dispatch this day and had to deploy the crews. Such a sad story.
Fo speaks so fast!. He was very professional and did what he was supposed to do. Great job even tho the pilot died, not much could have been done.
Omg how sad.
Man ole man we never know when it's our turn.
Man my thoughts are with all involved and this captain's family.
I'm sooooo sorry for your loss.
Great job Co-p you do is a wonderful job under the circumstances. GREAT JOB.
God bless everyone of ya.
Not another one.... RIP, Captain. Thank you for your service! :(
Died Suddenly, Doctors are baffled ?????
And here come the deeply unintelligent nutcases....
Lots of heart attacks lately.
@@fhowland Idiot.
@@fhowland indeed!
He was completely in control and composed. Respect🎩
Man, this sucks. Rest in peace, Captain Ford.
This can happen to anyone, so get your health checked regularly, especially basic stuff like blood tests, blood pressure and ECG and try to learn how to do CPR in order to help others.
If it can happen to an airline captain that does the above health checks every six months .... Yeah it can happen to anyone.
Its more likely to happen to someone thats been following the science.
Regrettably I believe you are correct, we have seen a real spike in crew medical emergencies.
@@MrHealey01And still nobody dares to at least conduct a search about it.
Anyone with a certain jab is more likely too
Good training leads to professional actions. Well done 👍🏻
Note to other comments; it dus not matter what rank or function the guys was.
It’s professional behaviour learned by good training.
Every pilot co or cap would do this.
The FO is so calm.
He was actually a Captain doing upgrade training as a line check airman for the deceased pilot.
Now that would make better sense. So his very presence may have caused the extra stress on the pilot?
My condolences for Captain Fords family.Sad, so thankful Captain Hendrickson was able to do an amazing job in view of this horrible tragedy 😢
Calm and controlled in the face of danger. Hats off to this man! great job by all Atc involved too
Sorry to hear that the Captain didn't make it. Kudos to the professionalism of the other Captain, Crew, ATC - we are all lucky to have them.
Eternal rest grant unto Patrick Ford, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen 🙏🏼☦️💙
Kudos to the other Captain, who handled this emergency with meticulous precision.
Amen.
All of my sympathies for his family and friends. He is now flying higher than ever.❤
Sincere condolences. FO did a great job handling a harrowing situation. This could have turned out a lot worse. Glad the plane and passengers made it back safely. RIP.
I'm always just as fascinated as how they can be so calm in these types of situations.
and the airlines want the FAA to consider single pilot passenger planes? nope.
My condolences for the pilot's family. :(
Condolences to the Captain's family. I was a Large Flight Ops Inspector for many years, and often during simulator check rides, I would have the Captain or F/O simulate sudden death at Vr. One very keen F/O followed the SOP when the captain stopped responding, and immediately assumed control, continued the take-off and once at a safe altitude, requested a pay increase from Dispatch...
I've only had to do that once in the sim playing the FO. As fun as it was I did try to take it seriously. He "died" on me when I was flying 15 minutes later but I had more than a good idea what the sim instructor was up to. The same guy took 4 of us on his "outside of the box" session during very early IOE. The entire brief was he was going to time wheels off to wheels on.
First guy flies the tightest pattern an A320 has ever flown and lands it flapless at some ridiculous speed. Second guy takes off, takes full flap and does this turn back onto the parallel in the opposite direction, better time. Third guy, some genius Kiwi who had come from bush flying rotates and slams the thing down nose wheel first, the instructor had to pause the sim to stop it careening into Hong Kong harbour with the thrust levers still at the firewall and causing a fairly interesting reset.
The instructor loved it but I was so bummed because it couldn't be topped. He let me try something fun instead, can't remember but it was something like a single engine take off with a stupid headwind or something. He was awesome, we'd get the serious stuff done and if the sim was free he would want the guys to have a play with some stupid brief.
1:51 He's talking very fast, but if you put it on half speed, it's pretty clear he says "Vectors'd be great", not echoing the "Speed my discretion".
Yes, and that's not the only caption mistake.
@@smark1180 I spotted one other later on, a phrase that was missing from the captions, but didn't feel it was worth reporting. If there was anything else, I either considered it too trivial for me to even remember or I missed it.
@@RobinHood70 Consistently captioning something like 'get him out of his seat' when the FO is actually saying 'get (himself) into the left seat'.
A friend of my parents died of a heart attack last week, it really sucks that it can happen at any time without warning :/ RIP Captain Ford.
especially if you took an unknown experimental medicine with unknown side effects.
Far, far better than suffering months or even years with some debilitating disease such as cancer..........
@@randallmarsh1187 who really knows...The HA often comes without warning, so no preparation, no goodbyes. I've seen both, not sure what is the best in general.
@@shuki1 Agree - my dad died 4 months after cancer diagnosis, I always feared he would die suddenly. The "long goodbye" wasn't easy but I think it was better.
Was he vaccinated?
Outstanding job by the second Captain. He made the right call to taxi to the gate. It is much faster to get medical assistance at the gate than out in the middle of nowhere on a taxiway several miles from the terminal. Plus, once you get the Captain out of the cockpit after landing, flight attendants or medical professional on board can use the AED defibrillator equipment to try to stabilize the crewmember. I wonder how old the flying Captain was? RIP
I remember an episode of Air crash investigations where a plane crashed following the incapacitation of the captain. The FO got overwhelmed + a technical issue with the plane, and everyone on board died. It is very sad for that pilot, but at least the remaining pilot did an exemplary job of bringing everyone else safely to the ground. Had it been an unexperienced first officer, things might have turned out even sadder.
Wow... Co- pilot is an Iceman. Incredible job. Condolences to the other pilot.
He's a training captain and check captain. Pretty much a top pilot.
Awesome performance by the captain trainer and ATC, horrific outcome in spite of all the good work. My sincerest condolences to family and friends 😢
That is so sad. Prayers for his family and friends. I’m the airline industry we are all family. Good job to Cpt for getting back safe n sound.
Great job by second in command. Handled the plane and emergency like a real professional.
Well done pilot. Well done to all for expediting return! Sad loss for family and friends!
Sad story. Indeed an impressive expedited return.
4:20 is incorrect, he said “so I can get in the left seat” Rest In Peace and fly high Captain Ford
First off, Condolences to the Captain. Nothing but blue skies and tailwinds for him and his family.
Secondly, I have to say that the LCA in this instance did what he had to do, and that included utilizing a Netjets pilot to run comms for the LCA at the very end while they taxied to the gate.
For those ever scared or nervous to fly, this is what pilots are made of in any event or scenario. It doesn't matter if its 3 or 4 stripes, they are paid and well trained to handle every single scenario.
Condolences and my thoughts to friends and family.
Full respect to the pilot and ATC in this sad situation.
Very sad. Rest in peace, and prayers for his loved ones. Please don't nistake this as glib -- he passed doing what he loved. Deepest condolences to his family.
So sorry to hear of the lost of the Captain. My condolences.
Great job to the Check Airman. Great that he was onboard. We once had a situation coming out of London Heathrow. Our Captain just passed out while going through security...
But thank God we had a Check Airman that was non revving. He flew us home. The Captain was fine.
Whats non revving mean?
The production values are really good. Solid content
Smooth skies and fair winds to Captain Ford. My heart is with his family.
Great work by the First Officer👏👏 Hope captain is ok 😔
sounds like he passed away...
What a sad set of circumstances.. but the first officer showing heroism by staying in control and flying the plane safely first and then doing what it takes to get back on the ground safe… First officer really should be a captain … He deserves to be ;)
The concluding statement in the video says the pilot who took over was not an FO. The pilot who died was a trainee captain, the other pilot was the check captain supervising him.
Go back and watch the last 30 seconds or so of the video and the written statement posted. He was more than a FO
Make that man a Captain ! Superb handling of a super stressful situation ! RIP to the Captain !
He is a Captain. #2 on the flight was a Line Check Airman, Captain Brandon Hendrickson. he was training the left seat pilot that passed away so that he could become a Captain.
He used all his resources by bringing a pilot up to the right seat to work radios. Bravo…and tailwinds Captain.
Umm... why would you think that? He stopped to get the pilot out of the left seat so he could use the tiller to steer the nose wheel.
@@cageordie it’s obvious by radio comms that An exec jet pilot came up to help and was on the radio after they had continued taxi. 15k hours in heavy jets, I probably have a pretty good idea what is going on. He did an excellent job, as I’d expect a pilot of his level to do.!! Again, bravo, and tailwinds Captain. God Bless.
My heart is full of sadness
I have high respect for all those brave pilots who sacrifice their lives everyday to get us safely to and from our destinations
My sincerest condolences
Condolences to Captain Ford's family. From listening to the radio transmissions it would appear that Captain Ford suffered a massive heart attack & died almost instantaneously since his right seat said that Ford was collapsed and out. Very calm & professional operation during this emergency.
C19 mRNA Jabs???
That is why we need 2 pilots in the cockpit, flying the aircraft at all times. I read somewhere some 3 years ago that they would cut away the second pilot... only 1 pilot needed. No thanks. I wouldnt fly onboard the aircraft if I knew that it was to be piloted only by 1 pilot. No thanks. I'll see myself disembark immediately, thank you.
Very sad RIP Captain Ford, a salute to the FO and all the professionals involved!
RIP, Captain, and fly high.
Rest in peace, Captain.
Saddened to hear the outcome. Outstanding job by the Check Pilot!! R.I.P.
We lost a one pilot flight from Kelowna and the age of pilots is climbing. We'll probably never know the pilot (in his sixties) could have had a medical issue. My HS friend was always going to be a pilot, and achieved it for small planes (Grumman Goose; sighting for swordfish, etc) and he was only 28 when he was due for work, and told his dad he needed to lay down on his couch. He never woke up. That was after the required medicals never showed anything. The whole Boy Scout troop showed up to carry his passing, way too soon.
And believe it or not the airlines are advocating for only one pilot per plane. It was in today's paper. Sheesh!
ORD could do better than to give no fewer than 3 frequency changes to a single seat pilot dealing with an incapacitated partner at a critical phase of flight. Pilot is nearly on workload saturation already...
towers\ isn't on freq with the other 12 aircraft lined tip on the 28C ILS, the approach controller is, who has to coordinate steering alll the other planes out of the way. approach controller can't clear the plane to land. that's the tower controller. so. tower-approach-tower. get a clue to what you're talking about before you criticize. this is standard
@@jaykay6412 Nothing is standard when your partner dies on takeoff, Mr. Keyboard Warrior. It's not unheard of to assign an isolated frequency to an emergency aircraft and should be especially doable at a facility such as ORD who no doubt has supervisors on duty who could accommodate and coordinate between controllers. He barely left the pattern, was flying the plane solo, handling the comms, coordinating FA assistance, and dealing with a dying man next to him simultaneously - you think that tower saying "stay with me until you're on the ground, we'll get everyone out of your way" wouldn't be helpful?
@@jaykay6412 yeah when it's emergency aircraft everyone else can go away if they need to that's how it works. In this case FO seemed comfortable to stay but was within rights to just say he's making visual approach to whatever runway he wants and and whoever is listening can get all the other traffic out of the way. Props to him for handling without needing to do that but that's the right of aircraft in emergency.
I have Been following this channel lately and I notice a lot of stuff is going on in the skies - the second pilot sounds relaxed and calm he said yea I can handle this by myself
Well done. It takes a lot to deal with this... although seems RHS was his Check Airman
Rest in peace Captain Ford.
My condolences to his family. Praying for God’s healing blessings over your hearts.
This is a great example of why reducing some airline crews down to only a single pilot is probably not a smart move. Good job #2.
If conditions were VMC you do not contact departure. You declare an emergency and INFORM the tower you will be turning a downwind at 1500 ft AGL and land ASAP. Minutes were lost. I have done that at PHL in a DC 9 with a passenger vomiting blood. I didn't even have to declare an emergency. The tower said fly a left downwind and you're cleared to land. 1985
Plötzlich und unerwarted…
Möge er in Frieden ruhen.
The captions say, “get him off the seat”. But both times I’m hearing “I’m gonna get in the left seat”.
Kudos to ATC to respond so quickly!
In what way did they respond any quicker than normally?
RIP, Fly High.
Sounds like an FA took the right seat during taxi back. Well handed by the FO, fortunate to have an LCA onboard during a pretty hectic takeoff. Condolences to the Captain's family.
I was thinking there may have been a third pilot in the cockpit since it was a check ride and that’s who we heard on the radio at the end. I wouldn’t expect an FA to handle the radios
there was no FO, as I understand it. The incapacitated captain was actually a captain-in-training, and the pilot in the right seat was actually a line check airman.
Id guess it was another pilot that was deadheading, since they accidentally said execjet instead of Envoy at first.
There was a pilot from another airline onboard who took the right seat. You can tell the difference in voices.
@@smark1180 did you see somewhere that it was a pilot from another airline or are you just guessing?
Wonderful, I just read an article yesterday about how the airlines are pushing to only have one pilot only.
Condolences to the Captain's family . R.I.P. 🙏
Also to his co worker's.
Great job to his cockpit partner
( no disrespect, that's what I call them ) that was so very calm and let his training kick in for situations such as this.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
So sad…my sincere condolences for the Capt. and his family…so much credit goes directly to FO, pilots just don’t get the respect they need and $$$ they deserve! Rev. 21:3,4
What an awful situation with few clear options. I don't know if Hendrickson knew this was a heart attack situation. Was Captain Ford breathing after he was stricken? The obvious thing to do here, if it was clear he'd had a heart attack, would be to start CPR but how do you do that in this situation? If the comments of others are true, there might have been a single flight attendant onboard. The FA can't handle this alone and Hendrickson needs to keep flying and get the plane on the ground ASAP. Do you alert passengers and ask for medical personnel and physical help getting him lifted out and on the floor to start resuscitation? That's a tough call to announce right after takeoff the Captain has had a heart attack, someone come up here and help us. I think Captain Ford had a massive MI and Hendrickson knew he was dead. Just a feeling from his tone of voice. He certainly sounded like there was no rush to get to the gate after he landed the plane. They didn't crash and they got down as soon as possible. That's saying an awful lot given these terrible circumstances! RIP