Continental pilot dies mid-flight, plane lands safely in N.J.
A Continental Airlines passenger flight that started in Belgium made a safe landing in Newark, N.J., this morning after its pilot died mid-flight.
The pilot of the plane carrying 247 passengers died from natural causes, according to a Los Angeles Times article. The name of the pilot has not been released, but we know that he was 61 years old, based in Newark and had 21 years of service with Continental. (Update: Continental now says the pilot was 60 years old, with 32 years of service.)
During the flight, passengers were none the wiser about what occurred in the cockpit. As reported by AP, “Passengers weren’t told of the pilot’s death in flight. During the flight, an announcement was made asking if any doctors were aboard and several passengers approached the cockpit.”
According to an airline spokesperson quoted by various media reports, two co-pilots maintained control of the Boeing 777 plane, ensuring a safe landing at Newark Liberty International Airport at 11:49 a.m. (EST).
— Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times
[Photo: Continental Airlines Flight 61 is seen at Newark Liberty International Airport, June 18, 2009. Credit: Daniel Barry / Getty Images]
6 Comments on “Continental pilot dies mid-flight, plane lands safely in N.J.”
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June 18th, 2009 at 11:55 am
First off, it is greatly disappointing that a pilot died in mid-flight.
I kind of wonder if this story should be treated as big as it is. The co-pilot is there for partly this reason — and the fact there was another pilots aboard, the plane was never in danger.
Odd they would treat it like an emergency landing with clearing other planes and having emergency crews on the runway.
David Parker Brown
http://www.theairlineblog.com
June 18th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
It may not be of any comfort to his family, but at least he died doing what he loved to do.
June 18th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
I thing similar thing happened while I was travelling continental. The steward said that there was a situation and they badly needed a doctor. God knows what had happened.
June 19th, 2009 at 9:59 am
Of course, the passengers would never have been in danger if Congress had not changed the mandatory retirement age for pilots from 60 to 65. That retirement age limit was designed to prevent just this sort of thing from happening. Curious how the fed requires Air Traffic Controllers to retire at 55, but lets pilots fly to 65. I guess they don’t care about the traveler, only their own culpability in case of disaster.
June 20th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
And the real reason they changed the retirement age was money. During bankruptcies, pilots at US Airways, United, etc lost their entire pensions and now have to work an extra 5 year to recuperate. Excellent.
The rule change wasn’t based on health or safety, it was based on money. Like a lot of the decisions the FAA makes.
It’s time for change.
June 20th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Remember there have been several who have died during flight and much younger. The age rule has no relevant significance.