Pilot dies during flight

American Airlines pilot dies during
flight, plane safely landed by co-
pilot
An American Airlines flight from Phoenix to
Boston was diverted to Syracuse, New York on
Monday morning October 5th after the captain
became ill and died.
According to airline spokeswoman, Andrea
Huguely, Flight 550 left Phoenix at 11:55 p.m.
local time and was diverted mid-flight, landing
shortly after 7 a.m. EDT. She said that after the
flight's captain, Michael Johnston, 57, who was
based in Phoenix, became gravely ill, the first
officer safely landed the plane with 147
passengers and five crew members on board.
"We are incredibly saddened by this event,
and we are focused on caring for our
pilot's family and colleagues," the airline
statement said.
Huguely said a replacement crew was sent to
Syracuse and the plane later completed its trip
to Boston.
Before the flight landed at Syracuse, the first
officer called the airport tower and said in a calm
voice, "American 550. Medical emergency.
Captain is incapacitated." He requested a runway
to land on.
In a recording of his exchange with the tower, he
expresses concern whether ambulance medics
can get on the plane quickly. He's assured they
can and is told to go into a gate where the
medics would meet the plane.
"The passengers were not in danger,
absolutely not," he added.
Passenger Louise Anderson, who was heading
from Reno, Nevada, to Boston via Phoenix, said
she had dozed off on the flight. "What I woke up
to was the flight attendant telling us we were
making an emergency landing because the pilot
was ill," she said.
She said rumors of the pilot's death circulated in
the Syracuse airport but were confirmed only by
an announcement on their makeup flight to
Boston. Anderson said the mood on board then
was somber, but she commended the crew's
handling of a tragic situation.
Source: AP