In the history of aviation, there have been some incredible piloting actions, which have led to the saving of hundreds of human lives in conditions where catastrophes were imminent. There were complex situations in which the planes were on the verge of disaster, but the inspired actions of the pilots made the passengers escape with only a scare, maybe some of them and some minor injuries.
Air Canada AC143
A Boeing 767 ran out of fuel on a trans-Canada flight on the Ottawa-Edmonton route. It happened on July 23, 1983. Both engines stopped at an altitude of 12500 meters.
The investigation found that this problem was caused by a ground fault. The ground crew refueled the aircraft with half the amount of fuel it needed for the flight. The fuel quantity information system had problems with metric units.
Captain Robert Pearson, a glider pilot, along with Mauritius Quintal managed to land at the Canadian Air Force base in Gimli, Manitoba. Although the platform was crowded due to a local holiday, the plane landed safely with the 61 passengers on board. The flight in question was named "Gimli Glider".
An essential role in the success of the pilots was also played by the air traffic controller. The Winnipeg ATC was equipped with a powerful military radar. Thus the controller was able to provide useful information to the pilots about altitude, trajectory, descent rate. Thus Maurice Quintal was able to calculate the descent rate and the speed relative to the position.
China Airlines CA006
CA006 China Airlines flight was at an altitude of 12500 meters, on the route from Taipei to Los Angeles, when both engines lost traction. It happened on February 19, 1985.
While the pilots of the Boeing 747SP aircraft were looking for solutions to solve the engine problem, the plane plummeted, descending rapidly in a spiral. Just when it seemed like everything was lost, Captain Min-Yuan Ho managed to straighten the plane after falling over 30 feet in just 000 minutes.
Eventually, the aircraft landed in San Francisco. Unfortunately, the pilots cannot be considered full heroes because they also caused the emergency problems.
TACA Airlines TA145
On May 24, 1988, the Boeing 737-300 aircraft of flight TA145 TACA Airlines lost both engines at cruising altitude. But problems worsened when the plane flew over the Gulf of Mexico, in strong winds and precipitation. It was obvious that the engines could not start.
But the pilots managed to bring the plane to the ground. He landed at the Michound Nasa assembly line on a grassy runway. All 45 passengers on board escaped with a scare.
After replacing the engines, the Boeing 737-300 took off from the former runway at Michoud. It reached the base where it was repaired and then reintroduced into the commercial service.
British Airways BA5390
On June 10, 1990, Captain Tim Lancaster prepared for BA5390 without knowing what would happen. It looked like a regular flight from Birmingham to Malaga. When the plane was at 17 feet, the left windshield panel came off, causing an explosive decompression. Captain Tim Lancaster was pulled out of the cockpit. A flight attendant managed to keep him on his feet, while co-pilot Alastair Atchison managed to land the BAC One-Eleven 000FL aircraft safely.
During the flight, the captain had lost consciousness due to lack of oxygen and strong air currents, but returned to the ground. He was taken to hospital where he received specialized medical care. Everyone on board escaped with their lives.
US Airways 1549
Recognized as The miracle on the Hudson River, aired on January 19, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 landed on the Hudson River after the Airbus A320 lost both engines in a birdstrike.
Only a miracle caused the plane to remain intact after landing on the surface of the water and all passengers to be saved. Commander Chesley Sullenberger was considered a hero, thanks to his actions.
LOT Polish Airlines LO16
After a trip from Newark to Warsaw, the Boeing 767 LOT Polish Airlines aircraft made an emergency landing without the landing gear. The landing gear could not be lowered due to a hydraulic leak. It happened on November 1, 2011.
30 minutes after take-off, the pilots received a warning about the landing gear failure. But the pilots decided to continue the flight to Warsaw. Alternative methods of lowering the landing gear failed, and the plane flew an hour over the airport to burn the remaining fuel. The actions of Commander Tadeusz Wrona`s were heroic.
Qantas QF464
Captain Jerem Zwart and First Officer Lachlan Smale made a spectacular landing at Sydney Airport on October 15, 2014, during a violent storm with winds of up to 70mph. The Airbus A330-300 was "rocked" up and down by gusts of wind.
Despite the winds, lightning and thunder, Zwart managed to successfully bring the aircraft to the ground after an hour of flying in the hold. The Qantas pilot was considered a hero for the almost perfect landing of the plane, despite the difficult circumstances that existed, which also included flooding on the runway.
Qantas remains one of the safest airlines in the world. It has had no accidents with loss of life for more than 70 years, nor have any planes crashed in its history.
United Airlines UA1175
On February 14, 2018, what should have been a trip to paradise turned into a nightmare. The Boeing 777-200 aircraft, operating flight UA1175 to Honolulu, Hawaii, had a serious engine 2 (right) problem. A fan blade came off and entered the engine, damaging it. Witnesses say a bang was heard and the aircraft began to shake.
Captain Christopher Behnam and the flight crew declared an emergency, the affected engine was stopped, and the landing in Honolulu was made in an engine. The 374 passengers and crew escaped with a fright. The plane's damage was classified as minor. We can say that this incident is not so serious, considering that there have been such situations before, and the pilots are trained for such scenarios.
Southwest Airlines WN1380
Following the tragedy of April 17, 2018, one person lost his life. Specifically, the Boeing 737-700 aircraft, which operated flight WN1380 on the New York-LaGuardia - Dallas route, had problems with engine 1 (left). The bonnet was damaged due to an explosion. Some fragments managed to break the plane's window, which led to an explosive depressurization. The passenger in front of the window was pulled out. Unfortunately, she died!
Aloha Airlines AQ243
On April 28, 1988, the passengers of flight AQ243 went through moments of nightmare. The Boeing 737-200 took off from Hilo to Honolulu. It had reached normal flight altitude, after a routine take-off and boarding, when an explosive decompression took place and the fuselage had suffered significant damage.
Specifically, a small section on the left side of the fuselage broke, which led to the detachment of larger pieces from the fuselage and only a miracle caused only one person to die. Fortunately, the passengers were seated and wearing seat belts. Following the plane crash, the pilots managed to bring the aircraft to the ground on the island of Maui.
And as trouble never comes alone, the left engine crashed near the airport and the pilots did not know if the landing gear had been lowered correctly. However, the pilots managed to bring the plane to the ground on runway 2. As a result of the accident, 65 passengers were injured and one person died in the person of flight attendant Clarabelle Lansing.