Pilots reveal their scariest stories while flying
Pilots have taken to the internet to share their stories behind the flights. They shared their stories with The New Zealand Herald.
Muffingrinder was up first and shared a story about their father.
“Not me but my dad, first years with Delta Airlines in the ‘90s as a navigator (back when they still had them) he was working a flight crossing the Atlantic and a passenger died (nothing dramatic, he was old and had a heart condition).
“This particular plane had a gap between a wall and a row of seats so my dad had to be the one to move the body there and cover it with a blanket. Some people were bound to notice but a portion of the plane didn’t know until all the drama that ensued when they pulled up to the gate.”
Redditor Giftofnarwhals reminds us why fear of flying is a valid fear.
“I used to work with elderly people and one of my clients was a former pilot that finally quit when he realised in the middle of a flight his dementia had progressed and he couldn’t remember where he was supposed to be flying to. Meaning he had been flying for a commercial airline with dementia for quite some time before that.”
TopGun966 shared a story from when they were a 14-year-old student pilot.
“A few minutes before I was about to call for permission, my instructor goes really quiet. I looked over at him and he looked really bad. I thought he was going to puke so looking for a bag. But then I notice he isn’t breathing,” they said.
“I figure out where I am at and call up Detroit approach. I declare a medical emergency and that my instructor was not breathing. I also told them I am a student and never landed on my own before, and never in a large airport. Detroit approach was amazing at helping me.
“Anyway, did my approach and made the most butter smooth landing I have ever made in my life (even till this day). Ambulance was right there on the taxi waiting for me. Turns out my instructor (who was only 25) had a heart attack. He ended up being OK.”
Sometimes, passengers overhear some things that they wish they hadn’t.
“Flight was fine until we passed the mountain range just north of the airport. From that point on it was like a bad rollercoaster. Most of us passengers were white knuckling it, except for my infant son who laughed at every lurch.
“I was one of the last people off the plane because I was having to haul the baby and his carseat off, and either the pilot or co-pilot came off behind me with a flight attendant, and one said to the other ‘I wasn’t sure we were going to make it down in one piece.’ Not something I wanted to overhear.”