An American Airlines jetliner with 147 passengers on board made an emergency landing in Syracuse, New York, on Monday after the pilot fell ill and died mid-flight, aviation officials said.
The pilot of Flight 550, 57-year-old Michael Johnston, was flying from Phoenix to Boston on Monday morning when he became 'incapacitated'.
Taking control of the airbus, the first officer sent a panicked radio message to emergency ground control demanding permission to land: “Request handling for runway one zero landing.”
While a flight attendant, a former nurse, attempted to revive the pilot after suffering a 'heart attack' at the controls, the first officer took control of the plane. Sadly, the nurse’s attempts were unsuccessful, and the pilot was reported dead.
The plane carrying 147 passengers and a crew of five landed in Syracuse, New York, at 7.13am ET.
According to passengers, the EMTs did not appear to rush on to the airplane. Airlines cannot legally pronounce somebody dead in the air.
Passengers told CBS News they felt a sharp drop and some turbulence before a member of the crew then announced that the captain “wasn’t feeling well.” The passengers reported that the co-pilot remained calm and collected during the entire time.
"Unfortunately, our pilot passed away," American Airlines said in a statement. "We are incredibly saddened by this event, and we are focused on caring for our pilot's family and colleagues."
The airlines also noted that they took care of their passengers and they safely made it to Boston.
The moment the first officer radioed in the emergency can be heard in an audio recording first shared on savvystews.com. "Medical emergency, captain is incapacitated, request handling for runway 108," says the pilot.
After landing, a new crew was enlisted to fly the passengers to Boston's Logan Airport. They arrived shortly after 12.30pm local time.
While rare, it is not unheard-of for a pilot to suffer a medical emergency and die during a flight.
Listen to the audio below.
