Image via Nine News.
A Beechcraft Duchess plane suffered turbulence of the octogenarian variety on Monday.
Reuters reports an Australian pilot flying the small aircraft from Bankstown to Cowra had to fend off an 82-year-old passenger who seemed intent on gaining control of the plane.
As of this writing, there was no word on what caused the elderly passenger to wrestle with the pilot. Knowing "kids these days" might we offer the plane was flying too fast.
RT.com has a bit more information on the startling midair event, stating 23-year-old pilot James Chandler fought off Les Nixon who incidentally has experience flying planes for over 50 years.
According to the report, the incident occurred about 30 minutes into the flight with Chandler issuing a "pan-pan" distress call, described by the report as a call sent out when, "an emergency is occurring onboard, but that no one's life was in danger at the moment."
Not that Chandler had complete control of the cabin, because it seems the young pilot had to go to remarkable lengths during the flight fracas.
Nine Network, a local television channel, reportedly had the exchange from a pilot under siege.
Chandler first declared, "Pan pan, pan pan, pan pan… Bravo Foxtrot Papa... my passenger is trying to take over…" Moments later, the words "the engines" were heard before an inaudible portion of the recording.
Thankfully, the plane landed safely in a field with a shaken Chandler and a battered Nixon aboard. Here is the plane thanks to a tweet from Chris O'Keefe:
And here is Chandler via a tweet from Nine News:
The RT.com report states Chandler really did have to fight off his passenger who abruptly and without explanation tried to crash the chartered flight: "To overpower the passenger, Chandler repeatedly punched Nixon in the face, breaking his nose in the process. Shortly after the call, the plane made a perfectly-executed emergency landing on a farm field. Both men on-board were taken to hospital by helicopter."
We can now say that the pilot is officially adept at doing two things at once, sticking the landing while engaging in fisticuffs with an elderly passnger.
Chandler was reportedly released from the hospital while Nixon stayed for further observation, after which questioning from police officials will follow.
The Daily Mail has thoughts from a friend close to Nixon on what may have played out in the cockpit of the Duchess plane.
Phil Lamb has known Nixon for 40 years and was baffled by the reports, stating, "I can't even imagine what would have happened in that plane. It certainly comes as a surprise."
Lamb continued:
"It would have been very out of character for him to do anything that wasn't professional. That Duchess he flew was his favourite plane. He knew that Duchess (plane) inside and out. He used to hire a twin engine out of Bankstown to maintain currency so that means he would have been familiar with every switch inside."
So far the pilot is being praised for landing the plane amid such outrageous conditions while Nixon awaits curious officials who are eager to get some answers.
Obviously, they aren't the only ones.
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