OTTAWA (Reuters) – One of the pilots flying an Air Canada jet airliner became incapacitated during a domestic flight but the plane landed safely after an off-duty pilot stepped in to help, authorities said on Friday.
The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) said the incident occurred on June 7 during a 2,115 km (1,300 mile) flight to St John’s in the Atlantic province of Newfoundland from Toronto.
“The first officer became incapacitated during the flight. A deadheading captain assumed the crew member’s duties and landed the aircraft without further incident,” the TSB said in an emailed statement. “Emergency medical services met the aircraft at the gate.”
A deadheading pilot is one who is flying commercially on their way to a new assignment.
Air Canada did not respond to a request for comment.
The TSB did not identify the plane. According to Air Canada’s website, the carrier generally operates the flight with an Airbus A-220 twin-engine airliner, which can carry around 140 passengers.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Grant McCool)
