A United Airlines flight made an emergency landing in New Mexico yesterday after the co-pilot passed out.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, flying from Houston to San Francisco, landed in Albuquerque after the captain told controllers that the first officer had fallen unconscious during the flight.
Albuquerque airport spokesman, Dan Jiron, told the Associated Press that air traffic controllers were told that the flight’s first officer, who is second in command, had a medical episode.
The aircraft landed without incident, he said.
The pilot regained consciousness and walked off the aircraft in Albuquerque, where he was taken to a hospital, Jiron said.
It was not immediately clear what caused the pilot to lose consciousness.
The airline said: “United flight 1614, en route from Houston to San Francisco, diverted to Albuquerque this morning [Tuesday] when a crew member became ill.
“The crew followed procedures and the aircraft landed safely. We are working to get our customers to their final destinations.”
The emergency landing came a day after an American Airlines pilot, identified as 57-year-old Michael Johnston, died during a night flight from Phoenix to Boston.
The co-pilot of that flight landed the aircraft, with 147 passenger and five crew on board, in Syracuse, New York, where a medical examiner’s office said Johnston died of natural diseases.