A New York medical examiner today said the American Airlines pilot who “fell ill ” during a flight from Phoenix to Boston died from natural causes.
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The United Airlines plane travelling to San Fransisco, US, made the landing in Albuquerque, New Mexico, shortly after 3pm GMT.
The co-pilot managed to successfully land the aircraft following the emergency.
American Airlines have named Michael Johnston as the pilot who died midway through a Phoenix- to-Boston flight.
Johnston, 57, joined America West Airlines in January 1990, Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker told American employees in a message.
As the passengers waited for the body to be taken by the authorities, the flight to Boston was delayed for about five hours.
Air traffic controller received cockpit message from co-pilot, at the time of event: “Medical emergency, captain is incapacitated”.
According to the United Airlines website, Flight 1614 is scheduled to arrive at the San Francisco global Airport at 1:06 p.m.
She says that although this is hard time for the relatives, many family members in Utah actually got the chance to see him before his unexpected death. Pilots undergo thorough physicals each year. McCarron said what happened in the skies this week is extremely rare.
According to the FAA, seven pilots for USA airlines and one charter pilot have died during flights since 1994.
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“If nothing else I’m grateful that’s what he was doing”.
