Hero passenger steps in for ailing pilot

LIVE. WELCOME. >> THE THING THAT WE THOUGHT WAS FUN IS YOU TURNED TO YOUR WIFE, CAPTAIN, AND WHAT DID SHE TELL YOU? >> SHE SAID I THINK YOU BETTER RING YOUR CALL BUTTON. UNDERSTATEMENT. >> SO YOU DID? >> YES. I RANG MY CALL BUTTON. I SAD THERE AND REALIZED I KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO ASK ME TO DO SO I MAY AS WELL START GETTING UP AND MOVING TO THE COCKPIT SO THAT'S WHAT I DID. >> YOU GET UP AND START HEADING THAT WAY. DESCRIBE THE MOMENT FOR ME WHEN THE FIRST OFFICER TAKES A GOOD LONG LOOK AT YOU. AFTER A COUPLE OF OTHER PASSENGERS GOT THE CAPTAIN OUT OF THE COCKPIT AND GOT HIM LAID OUT. I WALKED INTO THE COCKPIT AND THE FIRST OFFICER HEARD ME WALK IN AND SAID, OKAY, WHO ARE YOU LIKE A OH WHAT NOW THOUGHT. >> NOT LIKE YOU HAD A RESUME ON YOU. SHE HAD TO TRUST THAT YOU KNEW WHAT YOU WERE DOING, YES? >> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. SHE LOOKED AT ME AND I SAID I'M A PILOT AND SHE SAID WHAT'S YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT DO YOU FLY? I SAID I'M AN AIR FORCE GUY, I FLEW D-1s. SHE SAID OKAY, AND SHUT THE DOOR. SHE SAID I WANT YOUR HELP ON THE RADIOS AND CHECKING THE CHECKLIST. >> HOW GOOD DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS ONCE YOU HOPPED IN THE SEE SEAT? >> I HAVE NOT BEEN FLYING SINCE DECEMBER 2011. I HAVE SINCE TRANSFERRED TO THE OHIO INTERNATIONAL GUARD TO FLY C-130s NOW. IT HAD BEEN JUST OVER TWO YEAS BUT IT HAD BEEN TWO YEARS SINCE I HAD FLOWN ANYTHING SUBSTANTIAL, ANY HEAVY IRON. >> WAS THAT ALL THE FIRST OFFICER AND YOU SAT THERE JUST IN CASE? >> THAT WAS ALL THE FIRST OFFICER. SHE DID ALL OF THE FLYING AND THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT. I WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT. THERE HAS BEEN SOME UNINTENTIONALLY MISLEADING HEADLINES. YOUR REPORT WAS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. >> GOOD, GOOD, GOOD. >> SHE DID ALL THE FLYING. I JUST BACKED HER UP. I JUST MADE SURE SHE HIT EVERY CHECKLIST EYED. IT GAVE HER A LITTLE EXTRA TIME TO DO OTHER THINGS. THE PILOT, HE'S OKAY. HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO SAY ANYTHING OR VICE VERSA? >> YES, ACTUALLY HE GAVE ME A CALL, PROBABLY A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE INCIDENT. HE WAS VERY GRACIOUS AND SAID THANK YOU. AND OF COURSE I SAID YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. HE SURVIVED, OBVIOUSLY AND IS DOING VERY WELL.

Channel: CNN

Views: 1,218,220

Keywords: CNN, News, CNN TV, CNN Newsroom, newsroom, Brooke Baldwin, Mark Gongol, Captain, Capt. Mark Gongol, pilot, bomber, passenger, ill, heart attack, cockpit, Air FOrce, emergency, landing, 737, sick pilot, pilot falls ill, ill pilot, passenger saves the day, saves the day

Id: FPrF1rdlMFU

Length: 3min 38sec (218 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 04 2014