The announcement was said to request any qualified pilot on the plane to assist in the cockpit. IOL has stated that the captain fell ill mid-air and required further support to land the plane.
The co-pilot is fully trained and capable of flying the aeroplane without assistance, so the request was made as a further safety measure. This first officer landed the plane safely and securely after calling for priority landing clearance.
An announcement was made to the passengers to gauge whether any qualified pilots were on board when the plane descended. A qualified passenger enters the cockpit to read the checklist out loud to the co-pilot in order to complete it correctly. At no point did the qualified passenger fly the plane.
The FlySafair passengers and crew remained calm under this stressful situation, and the airline commended the individuals involved in a statement:
“We commend our first officer for his exemplary professionalism and extend our best wishes to our captain for a swift recovery. We also express our gratitude to our crew, the assisting passenger, and all passengers for their understanding and cooperation.”
The captain in question received immediate attention from medical professionals on arrival at O.R Tambo International Airport. It was a genuinely triumphant moment of bravery and keeping a level head from the passengers and crew during a less than ideal occurrence.
In other news, FlySafair had to fend off some angry customers after they took to their X (formerly Twitter) page, admitting to participating in an overbooking practice which has left many inconvenienced and stranded.
First published by Gateway
Compiled by Louise Bell
Also see: Flysafair in the dog house after admitting to overbooking their flights
