A pilot from another airline was called to the flight deck to assist the crew on Southwest Flight 6013 on Wednesday after the captain suffered a medical emergency. A nurse reportedly provided medical assistance to the captain onboard after he was removed from the cockpit. Further details regarding the captain’s current condition and the nature of the medical emergency have not been made public.
“A credentialed pilot from another airline, who was on board, entered the flight deck and assisted with radio communication while our Southwest pilot flew the aircraft,” Southwest said. “We greatly appreciate their support and assistance.”
The aircraft, a Boeing 737-700, was enroute from Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas, Nevada, to John Glenn International (CMH) in Columbus, Ohio. It diverted back to LAS following the emergency, landing after one hour and 17 minutes in the air. Operated by an alternate crew, the flight departed for Columbus again after about three hours. The FAA is investigating the incident.
Capt. Oveur shouldn’t have had the fish.
^^^ Comment of the year right here! 😂
Yes, Chip D. That is one of the funniest forum comments I’ve ever read!
When I was active duty in the Air Force, I was traveling in uniform, and sat next to a couple of young women traveling together (one with a baby in arms). They asked if I was a pilot, I said yes, and one of them said, “Then if something happened to the pilots, you could land the plane?” My answer was, yes, I could, but that only happens in the movies. I guess sometimes, life imitates art. Although using “art” and “Airplane” in the same sentence seems a stretch.
They also asked if I was a father, and I said, “I found this in my pocket as my meeting was starting this morning.”, and pulled a pacifier out of my pocket.
Watching the national news, I learned the miracle of having that extra pilot on board saved everyone from almost certain death.
You are so right, John!
Nah, all you need is “AI” with oddoland…..audoland……autoland.
unless the first officer is a green newhire, and lacking experience in that model, and the plane is in challenging IFR, my take is that he, or she, would be able to safely handle the return and make a safe landing. Our training is comprehensive and covers all manner of contingencies including resourceful solutions to flight challenges not in the book; like this incapacitated Captain. A scenario of “certain death” would not be my view of possible outcome. In flight, pilots discuss likely challenges- I experienced many in my 25K hours of flight over 42 years, so would not be overly concerned.
Cap. Black – Master caution light on…your satire detector is set to “zero” … Ops recommends minimum setting of “low normal” 🙂
This is a terrible story. There should be a clear priority to calling pilots to the cockpit–student pilots first, then general aviation, and only as a last resort, a credentialed pilot from another airline.
The NFL also refuses to listen to me. When the quarterback goes down, a seat number should be drawn at random, a uniform provided, and the fan goes in. Only after the possession ends should the so-called “backup quarterback” be allowed to play.
Kinda like hiring an FAA Administrator who doesn’t know a stall from a squawk
Steve M, I agree completely. Time to give people their 15 minutes of fame.
“Incapacitated Pilot” is the new normal. Maybe it’s time to quit doing medical exams altogether. A First Class Medical ever six months doesn’t seem to be working. 😢
ezy-pzy fix — just require all aircrew to submit to a new 1st class prior to boarding a given flight.
(probably no more stupid than anything else coming out of governmental bowels these past few years).
Meanwhile, having a competitor’s cockpit certified come in and help probably just deflated the feelings of many a newbie GA pilot and his thoughts of grandeur
How did that old joke go?
“The new Boeing 797 will be single pilot with a computer and a pit bull.
The computer’s job is to fly the airplane, the pilots job is to monitor the computer and the pit bull’s job is to bite the pilot if he touches the controls.”
I was just bit by a dog on my daily walk. Good plan!
Hopefully this will put this single pilot nonsense to bed for a while….
Has happened for years, but fortunately not often. Years back I remember a Tiger Connie on final to BUR. Captain had sudden heart attack and fell forward on the yoke. Plane plunged forward and was too late for the FO to recover it. My hanger neighbor, recently retired FedEx Capt owned and frequently flew his Aztec. While at the Ford dealership getting an oil change in his truck, had sudden and fatal heart attack while sitting in the truck. He was still on a 1st class med. I’d just given him a BFR a month or so before. Thinking of the Tiger crash, made me wonder if my friend had done that in the Aztec while on final, would I have been able to process it and recover the plane in time. Ya never know.
I agree with a comment above.An FO should have been able to handle it.
Either the news media is hypersensitive to pilot incapacitations now and reporting has increased or there really are more pilot incapacitations. Seems like at least 1-2 a week are being reported now. This was last week. The week before was the BA captain who die of a heart attack in the hotel just before getting the bus to the airport. Just the other day I was talking with a former pilot who lost his medical due to “vaccine injury” (his words).
Most of the time a single pilot is up to the task. Most of the time…