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06th Oct 2015

AUDIO: This American Airlines flight had to emergency land after its pilot suddenly died

Frightening and tragic

Colm Boohig

american airlines dublin

Awful news.

An American Airlines flight from Phoenix to Boston had to be diverted when the pilot had a fatal heart attack.

Michael Johnston tragically passed away mid-flight, leaving the co-pilot to take over the aircraft for an emergency landing.

Flight 550 diverted to Syracuse in New York, where the unsettling conversation between the cockpit and air traffic control was recorded.

https://youtu.be/PyxzU4g43xw

Clip via Voice of America

The plane arrived safely in its alternative destination, with passenger Frank Cacciola praising the professionalism of the co-pilot when talking to Boston’s WCVB.

“We’ll never know what happened in that cockpit, but I think the co-pilot did a great job.”

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Topics:

America,Flight