Pilot pulls plane out of terrifying North Sea nosedive with just SEVEN SECONDS to spare
A HERO pilot saved his plane from plunging into the icy North Sea with just SEVEN SECONDS to spare after it was struck by lightning.
The aircraft nosedived to just 1,100 ft above the ocean as the pilot managed to wrestle back full control just moments before it crashed into the icy sea.
As the airliner fell at 9,500ft a minute, the autopilot had ignored the pilot's commands to climb and instead sent itself into a nosedive.
The near disaster occurred as the Loganair flight from Aberdeen approached its destination at Sumburgh airport, Shetland, at night.
The weather was so bad - thunderstorms with rain, snow, hail and 70mph wind - the 42-year-old pilot decided to break off his approach when they were still seven miles away.
And the 30 passengers aboard the island-hopping plane sat in terror as a ball of lightning appeared in the cockpit and a bolt struck its nose, travelling the full length of the plane before leaving at the tail.
But a misunderstanding meant that the pilot and co-pilot then struggled to regain control of the aircraft as it descended at high speed.
If it was someone who's a bad flier, it would be their worst nightmare
As the co-pilot declared a mayday, the pilot tried to gain height - but every move was countered by the autopilot.
When it reached 4,000ft the plane suddenly pitched nose down and started falling at 9,500ft a minute - giving crew members barley 20 seconds to act.
At 1100ft, as ‘Pull up!’ alarms sounded in the cabin, the captain applied full power and the aircraft finally started to climb.
The plane landed in Aberdeen, with no reported injuries or damage to the aircraft.
An investigation by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AIIB) found that the crew may have thought the lightning strike had disabled the autopilot because it had knocked out some of the other controls.
However, it was still operating and trying to adjust and fly at the level it had been instructed.
Only when the computers become overloaded with faulty data, did it disengage itself and give the pilot seconds to save the flight from potential disaster.
Shona Manson, a passenger on the flight during the incident on December 14, said: "It was really, really bumpy.
"If it was someone who's a bad flier, it would be their worst nightmare."
No technical problems were found with the aircraft, which is now back in service and pilot training now includes simulations of the incident.
