The Co-Pilot’s Life Saver
Just as the pilots’ actions were integral to landing the plane, the co-pilot was just as integral. He worked out important information and kept track of how much fuel was being used. He also contacted air traffic control as he would otherwise. This harmony between those two pilots exemplified the power of teamwork and trust during such crucial situations where every minute counts.
The co-pilot’s attentiveness and cool-headedness did help to reduce some burden off the pilot, enabling him to do the job too. This cooperation then becomes an expression of the tacit understanding which defines a functional cockpit crew: dependant trust in the skill of each pilot to accomplish the job.
The saga of the efforts of the co-pilot once again reiterated to everyone the significance of co-pilots in emergency situations. Co-pilots are not there to assist the pilot alone; they have to be vigilant all the time and assist when most needed. With teamwork, this pilot and co-pilot transformed a disastrous crash landing into a successful landing.
