Pilot Sounds Drunk Declaring Emergency | ATC vs Pilots

Kallita going to Yipsilante, MI

I supervised that airspace, and we put the flight on an overhead speaker so that we could all listen to what was happening. A controller realized immediately that it was hypoxia, and we known that we had to get him down asap. It happened in Cleveland Enroute Center, one of the busiest airspaces in the world. We had to start to FL230 because of the many communications with the controller at the lower altitudes. This cannot happen instantly. The controllers did a great job and were awarded certificates for their outstanding service. We had another private jet (Payne Stewart) that flew through our airspace and had a loss of cabin pressure 9apperantly human error), that turned out to be a tragic event. I worked at ZOB (Cleveland Center) for 29 years, at O'Hare for 2 to 3 years, and at the Air Force control tower and approach for 4 years. I witnessed many emergency events, some tragic, and this one still gives me chills.

The pilot was over Johnston (PA) VOR when this started. YIP is probable where he is based.

I did my flight training at KSPI and my instructor was an Air Guard F-16 pilot who arranged for me to spend a day in the pressurisation chamber with his unit and it was eye opening. I kept trying to put a square wooden block into a circular spot and got mad that it wouldn't fit. Watching the video once out of the chamber was both funny and revealing. It's an experience I think should be required for any pilot who flies above 10k

The controller needs some additional training. I'm not a pilot and even i knew the pilot sounded hypoxic.

Is it just me or is the ATC not clued in enough here to respond quickly and intelligently by helping resolve the stuck altitude issue and guide him down to a lower altitude asap? Even before vectoring to Yspilanti. Sounds like the pilot went above and beyond, but the controller just took way too long to figure everything out. He needs to be re-trained.

I remember about 20 years ago a famous golfer. Everybody in the jet passed out and that jet just flew. Till it ran out of gas and then dropped into the ocean, I'm pretty sure.

Also I knew he was hypoxic as soon as you phrased it 'sounds drunk' 😂 that was actually covered in fiction books I read as a kid, I'm well familiar.

Honestly the hypoxic pilot saying 'a-okay' sounded like he was trying to be politely sarcastic while he panicked. He sounded like he had a Russian accent tbh. "Besides this major thing, this major thing,and thing major thing, everything is perfect!"

Well it’s more than pass out. They die.

Sounded like he had a stroke.

Controllers and Pilots total maniac!
Don't know what's going on?

As someone who's has numerous severe asthma attacks, it didn't take long to recognize that the pilot was hypoxic. 😮‍💨

Scary

Unbelievable!!!!

“5 by 5” is not slang.

The first number is signal strength, the second number is message clarity. So “5 by 1” would mean a strong signal, but unintelligible” and “1 by 5” would be a very weak signal that is crystal clear.

Why didn't ATC instruct the flying pilot to immediately don his oxygen mask, and then clear the airspace so he could make a rapid descent to FL100? This controller risked a major accident from being blase and slow-thinking.

Kallita is based out of Willow Run in Ypsilanti. I'm assuming it was just instinct for the pilot to want to go home instead of Cincy.

He sounded like a drunk Russian but ended up sounding like American Dad.

The corp headquarters is there in Mi

I'm thinking it's the sound of the alarm mucking with the Pick-up

Holy fuck buddy maintained consciousness a whole mile above the peak of mt everest; that's a feat and a half.

and yeah 10km at that altitude with those fancy critical wings there's not much room for error this was life hanging on a razors edge.

You know you’ve binge watched too many aviation videos when you detect hypoxia before ATC 😂

Think he is a veteran, sounds like military humor

Hypoxia

I am quite surprised (and not) that a full investigative report was not done. FAA doesn't have enough resources.

This pilot had the stamina of that Helios jet attendant that was able to try to fly the doomed jet as all others had passed out, sadly, he could not hold on and the jet crashed.

Captain was a champ!

1 would think when these planes are built they would put an air pump in the front cabbin so pilots dont pass out

Some people when they get hypoxic will just sit there smiling until they die. some people can react to correct it. its really scary not knowing if you are one or the other

Have you scheduled the hypoxia thing?!

Scary

Why aren't the planes equipped with something that both detects depressurization and in such case minotirs the level of consciousness of the pilots (monitoring heart rate and oxygen level) so that the plane can automatically contact tower on emergency frequency and descend with auto pilot, being give some specific signal from the tower? Sounds easy enough to implement in these days of AI.

KALITAA 66, 5 by 5! WHEE OOO WHEE OOO

The term "5 by 5" comes from radio. In the morse code days, operators would exchange a signal report, called an RST. R=Readability S=Strength T=Tone. They would give three numbers.. the first 1-5, the last two 1-9. In ham radio voice communications they say "Five by Nine" or "Five Nine" because the "tone" doesnt apply to voice. The military borrowed this system and condensed it to two numbers from 1-5. Strength is the first number, and clarity the second. For example, a signal report of "three by five" means there may be some static or other issues with the signal, but still completely readable.

The "Loud and Clear" is more modern and in the military it's often shortened to "Lima Charlie".

Due to watching videos such as yours Kelsey, your title told me what it was before watching; horrible and such a contrast.

If I were the air, traffic controller, shortly after giving the pilot an immediate clearance to descend below 12,500 feet, I would have asked him one question:
“Do you have supplemental oxygen aboard?” (and if he did, I would’ve instructed him to put his mask on immediately and get the oxygen flowing)

Holy crap. Thanks for sharing this. It's astonishing how quickly we can loose control of ourselves in the absence of what we need to survive. I've already armed myself with the requirements of being able to land a plan. I think everyone who flies should as well.

Anyone else confused about the pilot saying unable to control altitude, heading, and speed, but then is able to control the plane to where air controller tell him?

Hypoxia...drunk, nope...

That’s Connie killitta flying this plane. He’s not your average man. Google his name and see what he’s done

Nice job. I bet you are funny and nice. Just subscribed!

You think the guy was making a dark joke with “other than that everything A-OK”??

every friday evening I suffer from hypoxia. that is my excuse, and I am sticking with it.

I live in Ypsilanti🤣

I knew from the get Go- Pilot was Hypoxia‼️ Very surprised the ATC didn’t get that right away ‼️

When I clicked the video it started playing and the only thing I could think as he said the word emergency was that he had decompression sickness. Now to watch past the intro to see what happened……. I might update?


Update: that controller seemed slow on the uptake…..

I love you, Kelsy. You are my favorite source for information. Thank you for demystifying the behind the scenes.