Posted on 02/27/2014 2:54:30 AM PST by rickmichaels
Miles O'Brien, award-winning science journalist and former CNN correspondent and anchor, revealed in a blog post that his left arm was amputated recently after an accident. "I wish I had a better story to tell you about why I am typing this with one hand (and some help from Dragon Dictate)," he wrote. The story is not, he wrote with bittersweet humor, as "entertaining" as an "out-of-control quad copter that turns on its master," or perhaps a shark attack or assassination attempt. What led to the loss of O'Brien's arm was a case of TV gear.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Sad news. I worked with him in the 80s in the Boston area when he was starting out. Nice guy.
Very unfortunate. I wish him the best as he adjusts to life as an amputee.
Miles O’Brian. I thought he was the engineer on Star trek, Next Generation and Deep space nine.
Sorry, couldn’t resist
I feel for him. He’ll make it.
"After entering surgery, O'Brien woke up to learn that his blood pressure had dropped during the procedure. To save him, the doctor had made the decision to amputate just above the elbow."
I'd be more confident that this was a only an unfortunate and unexpected treatment outcome if I knew that the surgery took place in a trauma center in Washington DC and not in a rural hospital somewhere in the Philippines.
This being CNN they can't tell the truth.
bump
What you need is the functional ability to perform certain tasks. It's known as a waiver of demonstrated ability and is issued by your local, friendly FAA inspector.
An instructor of mine always failed the color vision portion of the physical. In flight, however, he had no difficulty identifying aviation red and green.
Man, that’s a tough break. Going to live with lots of regrets/what-ifs for the rest of his life.
Exactly. Enter a third world hospital for a bruised swollen arm, and you wake up with no arm. Ugh. Many regrets forever.
There’s actually a link from this story about an amputee pilot saying O’Brien could be back flying again “in no time”.
he’s a (GA) pilot, wondering if he can still retain his certificate?
Yes, with a FAA Special Issuance Medical Certificate.
Amputee
Bi-Lateral Amputee Wins Aeromedical Certification
Veteran Pilot Gets Certified to Fly Despite Near-Fatal Crash Injuries. A former airline pilot who lost both hands in an auto accident, was fitted with two remarkable artificial limbs. Later, he applied, was tested by the FAA and given the green light by FAA physicians to fly. The Federal Aviation Administration certified and issued a Third-Class medical certificate to an airman with two prosthetic devices for arms, a “first” for the agency. This case involved a veteran commercial pilot who had suffered a major automobile accident two years earlier.
After extensive rehabilitation, and through the use of innovative prostheses, he decided to regain his flying status, applying to the FAA for a medical certificate. Through the Special Medical Issuance process, the FAA Office of Aviation Medicine is able to assess, on an individual basis, the appropriateness of issuing medical certificates to airmen who do not meet medical certification standards. This 47 year-old male pilot was the holder of a First-Class FAA medical Certificate.
Read at: http://avstop.com/medical/amputee.htm
Pilot earns certificate despite damaged arm
Another option is FAA Sport Pilot certification.
Question :
I’m a amputee: right arm, above elbow. I’ve had a valid state drivers license since my accident, but wouldn’t this injury disqualify me from a LSA-type aircraft?
Answer :
No, not necessarily. If you can demonstrate your ability to safely control the aircraft you would be eligible for a sport pilot certificate. If you need adaptive equipment or modifications in order to operate the aircraft you would be restricted to flying only aircraft equipped with the appropriate adaptive devices.
http://www.sportpilot.org/questions/afmviewfaq.asp?faqid=1396
AVIATION PING
The TACA pilot who landed a B737 on a New Orleans levee after a double engine flame-out due to hail only had one eye. He had been shot in the face while piloting a Cessna in El Salvador.
A remarkable bit of airmanship, argueably superior to the Hudson River landing.
Foisted on his own petard.
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