Reporting Crewmember Incapacitation?

[Palmpilot]

So two pilots flying a C172 together can both log the whole flight as PIC in the US?

As others have mentioned, it depends on the circumstances.

In a 172 and similar aircraft, if person A is fulfilling the role of 'person exercising responsibility and authority for the conduct of the flight' (aka, "acting as PIC"), and person B is logging PIC time as sole manipulator of the controls of an aircraft for which he/she is rated, then only person B can log PIC time unless the rules that the flight is operated under require more than one pilot. The only example that I can recall that would apply to a 172 is when person B is under the hood with person A acting as safety pilot, on the conditions that person A can only log PIC time if he/she is qualified to act as PIC on that flight, and the persons involved agree that person A is the one who is acting as pilot-in-command. (If those conditions are not met, then the safety pilot can only log SIC time.)

That's both weird and interesting — thanks!

That describes the FAA perfectly!

But I assume they're still only one actual PIC for each flight who's responsible for it.

Generally true, although as others have noted, the FAA always reserves the right to reclassify responsibilities after the flight if a violation occurs, especially if one of the pilots is a CFI. (Due process? What due process! )

 

[Palmpilot]

Thanks for the clarification. So to the original point, then, the PIC of the flight in the OP was the sole required crew member of the Cessna 172 when they became incapacitated (since the C172 does not require an SIC), no?

Unless one of the discussed exceptions applies, that sounds right to me. Once the other pilot takes over, he/she presumably becomes PIC if qualified to do so, and thus becomes the only required crewmember. However, under the scenario as described, the first pilot was the only required crewmember at the time that the incapacitation occurred, which is why I think the reg requires reporting.

How many people would actually do so on a flight like that is another question. I bet that a lot of people on personal flights wouldn't bother, even if they remembered that the requirement exists.

 

[bflynn]

How many people would actually do so on a flight like that is another question.

The pilot is probably also the operator. How many would report themselves?

 

[David Megginson]

The pilot is probably also the operator. How many would report themselves?

Exactly. I'm not urging anyone to report anything; I'm just curious about how the regulations actually apply.

 

[Palmpilot]

The pilot is probably also the operator. How many would report themselves?

I'm not sure if that would be true of renter pilots (who are probably the majority).

 

[jordane93]

Don't the airlines use something like "PF" (pilot flying) for the pilot actually manipulating the controls? My understanding (which again could be wrong) is that the PIC of, say, an Airbus doesn't actually have to touch the controls from take off to touchdown to be PIC (they could let the SIC fly the whole thing), any more than the captain of a ship has to actually take the helm, but both still ultimately have legal responsibility.

The captain is acting PIC regardless of who is PF and PM. At Delta, FOs can log PIC time as part of an augmented crew when he occupies the left seat (I.e. when the captain goes and takes his ~2 hour break in bunk or rest facility). Really you can log PIC any time you are sole manipulator of the controls but no one logs it that way and you’d get laughed out of an interview if you logged PIC as an FO. The captain signs for the plane so really, he’s the only one who would log PIC.

 

[Palmpilot]

I should have posted this earlier; would have saved me some typing.

The definitive PIC thread

(It's a sticky in the Flight Following section.)