Credit goes to the co-pilot for maintaining composure after his pilot (and most likely long time friend) died during a flight from Phoenix to Boston. The plane diverted to Syracuse where it was met by an ambulance.

A second crew completed the flight and informed the passengers of the unfortunate incident.

[www.yahoo.com]

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“No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong.” -- François de La Rochefoucauld

"Those who cannot accept the past are condemned to revise it." -- Geo. Mathias

The German word for contraceptive is “Schwangerschaftsverhütungsmittel”. By the time you finished saying that, it’s too late

I listened to the recording. Definite props to the co-pilot for his absolute cool!

I'm not sure, were I a passenger, that I would want to know until the end of the flight...

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Paul F.
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A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
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Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
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Eureka, CA

My buddy, that graduated from the AF academy, then flew U2s (and everything else in between) for 15(?) years over the middle east, is only a co-pilot...

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Edited 999 time(s). Last edit at 12:08PM by jdc.

i've always wanted one of the flight staff to also be a pilot certified to fly the planes they are on, too. I know, it would increase their salary, but... would be nice, no?

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Hurts like a bastid...

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Paul F.
I listened to the recording. Definite props to the co-pilot for his absolute cool!

I'm not sure, were I a passenger, that I would want to know until the end of the flight...

Passengers found out later (on the next flight.)

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mrbigstuff
i've always wanted one of the flight staff to also be a pilot certified to fly the planes they are on, too. I know, it would increase their salary, but... would be nice, no?

You mean flight attendants? I don't know. That seems a bit much. Not quite akin to scrub nurses being qualified to perform neurosurgery but still a bit much.

I could be wrong but I assume the flight engineer would do in a pinch so there are already three qualified pilots on every major airliner.

I thought there are only two on domestic flights, but three on transatlantic/pacific flights. could be wrong, just my observations.

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Hurts like a bastid...

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AllGold
I could be wrong but I assume the flight engineer would do in a pinch so there are already three qualified pilots on every major airliner.

The crew position of flight engineer has been mostly eliminated on most flights by the various carriers. At most you will have relief pilots carried on longer nonstop flights that are scheduled to be in the air more than 8-10 hours.

One thing that I find surprising is that there was apparently no announcement asking if there was a doctor on board. I wonder how much time elapsed between when the pilot was incapacitated and when they landed and got medical attention.

I'm sure this is a grey area with keeping the cockpit locked down vs a medical emergency with the flight crew.

Details on the pilot released, 57 years old, died of a heart attack, had bypass surgery in 2006, physicals every 6 months.

[www.nbcnews.com]

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merican Airlines Capt. Michael Johnston died of a heart-attack mid-flight from Phoenix to Boston early Monday morning, his wife Betty Jean Johnston told NBC News.

The 57-year-old veteran pilot had a double-bypass heart surgery in 2006, but had otherwise been in good health, his wife said, adding that the airline required Johnston to have a physical every six months to continue piloting.

"He loves flying," Johnston said. "He is very loving and caring, and he'll do anything for anybody - bend over backwards, try and help out anyone as much as he can. He's always been that way."

She said the couple, parents of eight kids ages 12 to 34, would have celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary on Oct. 18.

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jdc
My buddy, that graduated from the AF academy, then flew U2s (and everything else in between) for 15(?) years over the middle east, is only a co-pilot...

Did not mean to imply that co-pilot was any less qualified. I had a friend who was the #1 co-pilot with Eastern Air Lines back in the day. He never wanted to the pilot though was more qualified than most. As lead co-pilot he could choose his flight (he stuck to NYC-Miami) because he could be home every night. If he switched to pilot he would have been at the bottom of the pile and received the least desirable routes.

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“No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong.” -- François de La Rochefoucauld

"Those who cannot accept the past are condemned to revise it." -- Geo. Mathias

The German word for contraceptive is “Schwangerschaftsverhütungsmittel”. By the time you finished saying that, it’s too late