Off duty pilot to the rescue during cockpit emergency
An off duty pilot stepped up to save the day during a cockpit emergency.
The pilot had a medical emergency during a Southwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Columbus, Ohio.
Shortly after departure, the pilot ‘needed immediate medical attention’ the airline said.
The off duty pilot worked for a different airline and was granted access to the cockpit to assist the other Southwest pilot.
“A credentialed pilot who was on board, entered the flight deck and assisted with radio communication,” the airline said.
“We greatly appreciate their support and assistance.”
According to air traffic voice recordings, ‘the captain became incapacitated…we need to get him on an ambulance immediately,’
The flight returned safely to Las Vegas.
It is still unclear what the medical emergency was.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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