Pilot Died Mid Air.. Plane Landed Safely In Syracuse Airport

[siru]

An American Airlines jetliner with 147 passengers on board made an emergency landing in Syracuse on Monday after the pilot fell ill and died midflight, aviation officials said.

The aircraft’s co-pilot took control of the plane after the captain became incapacitated, and landed safely at Syracuse Hancock International Airport shortly after 7 a.m.

The plane, an Airbus A320, was en route from Phoenix to Boston when it was diverted to Syracuse in response to the medical emergency.

“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 airline and federal aviation officials declined to release the name of the pilot or any details about the source of the illness.

While rare, it is not unheard-of for a pilot to suffer a medical emergency and die during a flight.

In 2009, a Continental Airlines jetliner carrying 247 passengers landed safely at Newark Liberty International Airport after the 60-year-old captain died of a heart attack.

The plane was on autopilot when he died. His co-pilots quickly seized the controls and landed the plane safely.

Only two months before that episode, a passenger landed a privately operated twin-engine plane at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers when the pilot died after takeoff. The passenger, who had training as a pilot, saved four lives.

[Silver_mani]

RIP pilot  ... Nice to hear everyone is safe  ... last but not least auto pilot system rocks