A few years ago at AOPA I attended a seminar on this. Turns out the success rate is extremely high provided you are able to get in contact with someone on the ground.
I think this article would have been a lot better if the full word count had been devoted to operating the radio. I don't think the author even mentioned 121.5 (let alone the transponder.) A few pictures of the control yoke PTT button and some common radio panels would help.
STEP 2: Set it to 7700 (emergency) or 7500 (hijacking)
STEP 3: Put on the pilots headset and wait, someone will start talking to you and explain how to respond.
STEP 4: If you don't hear anything for an extended period of time try to figure out why the radio doesn't work. Then start to panic and put into practice crazy things you read on the internet.
AOPA is purely general (non-commercial) aviation, so the first point is correct, although iirc the data was from actual incidents.
I don't know if anything like that has ever happened in a heavy aircraft. However, commercial pilots have pretty big health requirements to make situations like that less likely.
scrumper|13 years ago
dsl|13 years ago
STEP 0: Don't touch anything.
STEP 1: Find the transponder. It looks like one of these: http://www.free-online-private-pilot-ground-school.com/image... or http://www.funkwerk-usa.com/funkwerk/trt800h/trt800h-lg.jpg
STEP 2: Set it to 7700 (emergency) or 7500 (hijacking)
STEP 3: Put on the pilots headset and wait, someone will start talking to you and explain how to respond.
STEP 4: If you don't hear anything for an extended period of time try to figure out why the radio doesn't work. Then start to panic and put into practice crazy things you read on the internet.
sootzoo|13 years ago
In a heavy aircarft, e.g. passenger airliner? Has this even happened?
cynest|13 years ago
I don't know if anything like that has ever happened in a heavy aircraft. However, commercial pilots have pretty big health requirements to make situations like that less likely.