Real talk: What actually happens if you don't have deadheading pilots in the back during a worst-case cockpit emergency?
Hey guys, been following all the madness and deep-dives coming out about that FlyDubai flight where the captain got attacked and deadheading crew in the cabin had to step up and land the bird.
Got me thinking about standard line operations. Obviously, having extra pilots positioning in the back turned out to be an absolute miracle in that scenario, but how often are airlines actually doubling up on flight deck crew for routine routes?
If something catastrophic happens up front and there aren't any extra crew members riding as passengers to jump in:
Is ATC actually equipped to walk a total layman through a flight deck landing on a modern commercial jet, or is that purely Hollywood fiction?
At what point does autopilot/remote intervention play a role if the active crew goes completely incapacitated?
Curious to hear how other captains and FOs view cockpit security and redundancy after everything that's gone down recently. Stay safe out there.