Pilot Mistook Venus for Aircraft, Plunged Plane Towards Atlantic

[Cav]

Cool! I'd tell you not to worry about doing long haul once you finish, but you'll get more international trips on reserve than I'll get as s line holder.

Looking at open time assignments that seems especially true if you work weekends. Let's hope that we'll all be doing more intl trips when things inevitably improve, but in the mean time I loved the last trip and can't wait for my next trip. I've wanted to do this type of flying for as long as I can remember so I'm thankful for any intl trip I get and I'll savor every one. Hell the plane is satisfaction enough for me and I'm way to junior to even be doing what I'm doing.

 

[RICHARD5]

One night flight I made a sudden descent to avoid a rising moon. The conditions were a clear night sky, an Emb-120 had just checked on freq inbound and expected to cross my path. A 3/4 moon was rising from behind the craggy skyline of the Sierra Nevada in that same sector where the Embraer was expected. Add smoke from a brush fire. Heavens to mergatroid, it looked like landing lights aimed at me.

Another time while sailing between Hawaii and Alaska in the summer I tacked to avoid the planet Mars. A very bright light on the horizon, no apparent movement, sleep deprived.

 

[Rage Against The Machine]

How close was Venus when the incident occurred?
On a serious note, I am waiting for the official report.

 

[SeanD]

This incident happened last year. Kind of the same scenario. I didnt know Air Canada only uses 2 pilots for trans Atlantic flights.

http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/...-air-canada-incident-that-injured-16/674503/1

 

[Brian29]

On another note............ When are people going to learn that when you are told by the captain to fasten your seatbelt that you should probably fasten your stinken seatbelt.

 

[Rage Against The Machine]

This incident happened last year. Kind of the same scenario. I didnt know Air Canada only uses 2 pilots for trans Atlantic flights.

http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/...-air-canada-incident-that-injured-16/674503/1

A lot of companies use two pilots, especially in Europe. BA/VA/LH just to name a few.

 

[Cptnchia]

Delta uses just two pilots on DUB and SNN flights. GEO is a two pilot op too, and that is a 0100 departure. Plus, I've flown trans con flights that took longer to do than coming back from Ireland. All airline managements want to use the least amount of pilots they can. The new FT/DT regs could allow them the opportunity to add more two pilot ops.