There’s a lot more to pilots and crews than what plane passengers see. But many people don’t get to view the extent of the training and hard work these people put into their jobs. Of course, after a smooth flight, it’s easy to assume that their positions aren’t that difficult. However, plane crew members are, in fact, highly trained for numerous emergency situations. And when those situations arise, it’s incredible how calm and courageous they could become.
There are so many stories of heroic pilots and crews whose efforts saved many lives. Here are only some of them, starting with Captain Damir Yusupov and how he made an emergency landing that saved everyone on board.
6 Instances of Airline Pilots and Crews Being Heroes
1. The Russian A321 in 2019

Two hundred and six passengers boarded a flight from Moscow to Simferopol, many on holidays. However, they all narrowly escaped a complete disaster. As the plane flew higher, one of the engines failed due to a bird strike. Captain Damir Yusupov made the decision to try and land immediately in a cornfield. He and his co-pilot Georgi Murzin achieved this, saving everyone on board. Fortunately, the field cushioned the landing and recent rainfalls prevented the plants from catching fire. Seventy of the passengers required medical attention but only one woman needed to stay at a hospital.
Hero pilot Damir Yusupov, 41, safely lands Airbus-321 with tanks full of fuel and 226 passengers after birds get caught in BOTH engines seconds after takeoff. Damir was born in Yekaterinburg in the Urals and started flying career only six years ago in 2013 pic.twitter.com/Xge2jaEows
— The Siberian Times (@siberian_times) August 15, 2019
One of the saved passengers was 11-year-old Vitya Babin. He explained, “One of the stewardesses said there was smoke coming from the plane and we immediately panicked. We ran after one of the men. He said follow me.”
Yuri Sytnik, one of Russia’s top pilots, commented on the incident. “The crew did everything by the book: shut down the engines… brought the plane down really smoothly, touched down first with the tail section, as required, killed the speed – that’s a very tricky moment: you don’t dip the nose, don’t let an engine hit the ground.” [1]
“I really don’t feel like a hero,” Yusupov said. “I did what I had to do, saved the plane, the passengers, the crew.
Read: A good Samaritan jumped into water and saved a toddler who fell out of a car, authorities say
2. US Airways flight 1549 in 2009

This flight has been nicknamed “Miracle on the Hudson” and it’s clear why. A flight from New York to Charlotte, North Carolina, collided with a flock of Canada geese. Both of the engines were extremely damaged and refused to restart. Unable to reach any nearby airports, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III attempted the risky and rare water landing into the Hudson River.
His efforts saved his four crew members and 150 passengers. Everyone exited the plane through forward slides/rafts and onto inflatable rafts. Ferries and emergency responders rescued them minutes later. While many people had hypothermia, only five people suffered from serious surgery, including a flight attendant who needed surgery on their leg.