# Pilot flies his arm off **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 14, 2014, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-flies-his-arm-off/695535 "2014-08-14T18:28:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2014, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-flies-his-arm-off/695535/1 "2014-08-14T18:28:48Z")
[I just flew into Dublin, and…](http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/14/travel/plane-false-arm/index.html?hpt=hp_t2) > [@](#): > > It’s probably one of the more unusual incidents air traffic investigators have looked into, but the good news is that when a pilot’s prosthetic arm fell off during landing, no one got hurt. > > \ > > The report made no comment on the incident but concluded with the pilot’s own pledge to be “more cautious about checking the attachment on his prosthesis.” Well, it’s nice to know that a pilot who has lost an arm can still be hired. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2014, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-flies-his-arm-off/695535/2 "2014-08-14T20:47:36Z")
A friend of mine knows him personally and speaks very highly of him. ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-flies-his-arm-off/695535/3 "2014-08-14T23:07:55Z")
Douglas Bader lost two legs in a flying accident before the Second World War. Nevertheless he fought in the Battle of Britain as a successful fighter pilot with prosthetic legs. He was ultimately shot down over France, losing a prosthetic leg in the cockpit. The Germans gallantly allowed the RAF to drop him a spare,with which he promptly escaped from hospital, to be recaptured later , of course ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-flies-his-arm-off/695535/4 "2014-08-15T00:03:52Z")
Didn’t Bader wind up at Colditz due to chronic escape attempts? Pretty embarrassing when the legless guy keeps getting away… ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-flies-his-arm-off/695535/5 "2014-08-15T00:06:38Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s probably one of the more unusual incidents air traffic investigators have looked into, but the good news is that when a pilot’s prosthetic arm fell off during landing, no one got hurt. Glad to hear he’s all right. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-flies-his-arm-off/695535/6 "2014-08-15T00:20:22Z")
I would _love_ to hear them explain this on the plane’s PA system. “I’m sorry folks, but there will be a slight delay while the pilot finds his arm…” ---
**Author:** ![Damfino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Damfino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damfino)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-flies-his-arm-off/695535/7 "2014-08-16T22:50:20Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Didn’t Bader wind up at Colditz due to chronic escape attempts? Pretty embarrassing when the legless guy keeps getting away… Yes, after several escape attempts he was considered one of the difficult ones and confined to Colditz for the rest of the war. ---
**Author:** ![Cognoscant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Cognoscant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cognoscant)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-flies-his-arm-off/695535/8 "2014-08-17T18:28:45Z")
The headline on the BBC article for this story was something like “Plane lands successfully after arm falls off” and I was thinking, _planes have ARMS???_ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-flies-his-arm-off/695535/9 "2014-08-17T19:06:27Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > A friend of mine knows him personally and speaks very highly of him. How’s his sense of humour?