Pilot To Passengers: I am not qualified to land
December 19th, 2008 Posted in Oddities
Unqualified British pilot can’t land, turns back plane
A pilot of 30 years’ experience flying a British passenger plane tells passengers he is “not qualified to land plane” in fog and turn back minutes before landing in Paris.
LONDON – A British passenger plane was forced to turn back minutes before landing in Paris because the pilot of 30 years’ experience was not qualified to land in fog, an airline confirmed on Thursday.
Probably would rethink flying with this airline… Flybe Airlines prices should have been a tip-off.
photo credit: El Fotopakismo
December 19th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Better to turn around then to crash. Good decision. Usually you fly FVR instruments in fog or at night so I’m not sure why he couldn’t. Even if he was qualified though he might not be able to land.
December 19th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Probably O RVR. But who knows with European pilots.
December 19th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
The pilot made a decision based on his level of qualifications when Air Traffic Control advised that conditions were below what he was certified for. If he had landed, he would have been violated for breaking the rules, so he was in a no-win situation. Break the rules or irritate the passengers? Sorry, folks, but safety comes first and the passengers are in one piece but ungrateful. Mind you, the airline should have had a pilot certified to the required standards but getting the ratings in Europe is very expensive so many of their pilots are Americans or Canadians – or just like this chap, flying the routes and waiting to upgrade in a time of pilot shortages
December 19th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Phil its VFR if you can see the ground, whether its day or night, and IFR or instrument flight rules if you can’t.
I can’t see an airline filing VFR but like Aviator says European pilots suck. Besides who would want to go to a place like France anyway? Full of foreigners you know.