Half of men think they can land passenger plane in case of emergency
Imagine this: you are sitting comfortably in your seat as you fly toward your vacation destination. Until a flight attendant's voice suddenly breaks the silence: Ladies and gentlemen, both pilots are incapacitated. Are there any passengers who can land this plane with the help of air traffic control?
If you think you can handle this, you're actually not alone at all. Survey results released in January indicate that about one-third of adult Americans believe they can safely land a passenger plane with ATC guidance. Among male respondents, the confidence level even rose to nearly fifty percent!
Can anyone guide a passenger plane to a smooth landing without prior training?
We have all heard stories of passengers who performed a heroic act when the pilot became unresponsive. Last year, for example, Darren Harrison - after the pilot fainted - managed to land a twin-engine plane in Florida under the guidance of an air traffic controller who also happened to be a flight instructor.
However, such incidents usually take place in small, simple aircraft. Piloting a much larger and heavier commercial aircraft is of an entirely different order.
Do you think you could do it?
(FVDV for Tagtik/Source: The Conversation/Illustration picture: Image by Zac from Pixabay)
