Over 1 crore people fly commercial airliners every day, largely without incident, despite some recent aviation events. Extraordinary pilot interventions in life-and-death scenarios—such as Captain Smit Machchhar fighting off a co-pilot and opening a cockpit door to save 174 passengers—demonstrate critical presence of mind during extreme emergencies.
How did Captain Chesley Sullenberger save 155 people on the Hudson River?
US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of Canada geese two minutes after taking off from New York City on a flight to Charlotte, North Carolina.
Captain Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger squawked ‘Mayday’ and considered returning to LaGuardia Airport or diverting to New Jersey. Calculating that the aircraft lacked sufficient altitude and speed to reach alternative airports without risking a crash over densely populated areas, Sullenberger glided the plane onto the Hudson River, saving all 155 people on board.
What caused Air Canada Flight 143 to become the Gimli Glider?
With both engines dead and cockpit displays going dark, Captain Robert ‘Bob’ Pearson and First Officer Maurice Quintal glided the 100-tonne aircraft.
Pearson executed an advanced aerodynamic sideslip manoeuvre to shed altitude without gaining speed, landing the plane safely on a decommissioned military runway in Gimli, Manitoba, that had been converted into a go-kart racetrack. All 69 people on board survived unharmed.
How did a DC-10 training instructor help land United Flight 232?
Dennis Fitch, a United Airlines DC-10 training instructor travelling as a passenger, stepped into the cockpit to assist the crew.
The flight crew used differential engine thrust to steer and control the pitch of the McDonnell Douglas jet, executing a crash landing in Sioux City. Of the 296 people on board, 184 survived the impact.
How did British Airways Flight 009 survive a total engine failure in volcanic ash?
Captain Eric Moody informed passengers that all four engines had stopped while the crew worked to restart them.
Moody initiated a steep descent, theorizing that cooler air would solidify the melted volcanic glass. At 12,000 feet, the engines restarted, and the crew landed the Boeing 747 blind in Jakarta using only instruments because the ash had completely covered the windshield, saving all 263 passengers and crew.
How did SpiceJet Flight SG-273 handle an engine fire in Patna?
Captain Monica Khanna and First Officer Balpreet Singh Bhatia maintained control despite passenger panic.
Captain Khanna executed an overweight landing with a full fuel load on a single engine, bringing all 191 people on board back to the ground safely.
Why did Air India Express Flight IX-613 circle Trichy for three hours?
Because narrow-body Boeing 737 aircraft cannot dump fuel mid-air, landing immediately with a full fuel load and faulty gear risked an explosion.
The pilots spent 2.5 to 3 hours burning fuel by circling the skies to lighten the aircraft. Ground emergency crews readied over 20 ambulances and fire trucks before the pilots successfully completed a normal landing.
Common Questions About Historic Aviation Emergencies
What is a sideslip manoeuvre?
A sideslip is an advanced aerodynamic manoeuvre typically performed on small gliders to shed altitude quickly without increasing forward speed, as utilized by Captain Robert Pearson during the Gimli Glider incident on July 23, 1983.
How many people survived United Airlines Flight 232?
Out of 296 people on board the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, 184 survived the crash landing in Sioux City following a total hydraulic failure.
What caused the engines on British Airways Flight 009 to fail?
The Boeing 747 flew into a cloud of volcanic ash from Mount Galunggung on June 24, 1982, which melted inside all four engines and brought them to a complete stop before the crew restarted them at 12,000 feet.