Pilot dies during mid-air flight

Medical emergencies are rare, but hardly unprecedented in commercial flights.

It’s far less common when they involve the plane’s pilot — and that pilot dies.

That’s what happened Monday on an American Airlines flight between Phoenix and Boston.

Captain Michael Johnston, 57, was piloting the plane when he fell ill somewhere en route. The co-pilot landed the jet safely.

Crew members “took extraordinary care of Mike, each other and our customers,” airline CEO Doug Parker said in a statement sent to employees.

“We couldn’t be more proud of the teamwork this crew showed during an extremely difficult time.”

An autopsy and preliminary toxicology tests “showed that the death was the result of natural diseases,” the Onondaga County, New York, medical examiner’s office said — without offering specifics.

Johnston’s wife told KUTV her husband had a double bypass surgery in 2006. She said she was told he likely died of a heart attack.

“Whatever happened in the cockpit, none of us will know,” passenger Frank Cacciola told WCVB.

Cacciola was among the 147 passengers and five crew members aboard Flight 550 when it took off around midnight, heading from the Southwest to the Northeast. Their Airbus A320 plane was being operated by U.S. Airways, which is now part of American.

The pilot fell ill somewhere en route, and the flight was diverted to Syracuse in upstate New York.

Read also: Yemen PM escapes deadly hotel attack

“Medical emergency, captain is incapacitated,” someone in the cockpit told an air traffic controller, according to audio posted to LiveATC.net. “Request handling for runway.”

Those on board knew something was wrong when a woman’s “quivering” voice came over the intercom, alerting them the pilot was sick, passenger Peter McSwiggin told WCVB.

According to passenger Julia House, passengers waited for the body to be removed. They made it to Boston after noon, nearly five hours after their scheduled time.

Passengers expressed sadness about what happened and gratitude they arrived safely.

“If it wasn’t for the copilot using a cool head,” McSwiggin said, “it might have been more disastrous.”

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now