Virgin America Flight 762 Capt. Tony Ristaino and F/O John Grieff receive ALPA's 2016 Superior Airmanship Award.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—At its 63rd Air Safety Forum today, the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) presented the Superior Airmanship Award to Virgin America Capt. Anthony Ristaino for his extraordinary effort in performing a successful emergency landing after a rare maintenance issue impaired the aircraft’s ability to function properly.

“Capt. Ristaino’s unparalleled professionalism and years of piloting experience underscore ALPA’s long-held assertion that the best safety feature on any aircraft is a well-trained, highly experienced, and qualified pilot,” said Capt. Tim Canoll, ALPA president. “Capt. Ristaino relied on decades of experience to respond accordingly and led a team effort to keep the aircraft under control and ensure the safety of all those onboard.”

On Oct. 27, 2016, with nearly 100 passengers and crewmembers on board, Virgin America Flight 762 took off from Dallas’ Love Field, destined for New York’s LaGuardia Airport. While climbing into cloudy skies, the plane experienced several erratic jolts at an altitude of 7,000 feet. Quickly disengaging the autopilot, Capt. Ristaino worked swiftly with his copilot, First Officer John Grieff, to assess and verify the situation. The rudder, which is primarily responsible for controlling the plane’s left-right direction in the air, was deflecting entirely to the left. Working together, Capt. Ristaino and First Officer Grieff developed and executed a plan to safely land the aircraft at nearby Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport (DFW).

Due to the rudder malfunction, control of the aircraft was difficult. However, Capt. Ristaino engaged a piloting technique called differential thrust, using different thrust levels for each engine, to maintain effective control and counteract the rudder issue. At the same time, First Officer Grieff coordinated with Air Traffic Control to ensure emergency equipment was ready on the ground at DFW. Through their resourceful efforts and true professionalism, Capt. Ristaino and First Officer Grieff safely landed Flight 762 approximately 10 minutes after takeoff.

“Capt. Ristaino’s decision making skills, his actions and his expert piloting are the embodiment of what the Superior Airmanship Award celebrates,” said Capt. Joe Youngerman, chairman of the Virgin America branch of ALPA. “This successful outcome is the product of a very experienced, highly trained and qualified flight crew.  It is an honor to recognize his years of experience and leadership and celebrate his commitment to aviation safety.”