‘Medical emergency. Captain is incapacitated’: Airline pilot dies in cockpit, leaving first officer to land Airbus A320 by himself

An American Airlines captain became gravely ill and incapacitated while flying from Phoenix to Boston and later died, but his first officer safely diverted and landed the plane.

Passengers on the Airbus A320 were told the pilot was sick and it was making an emergency landing in Syracuse, and they later learned of his death in a scenario that’s rare but not unheard-of: Seven pilots for US airlines and one charter pilot have died during flights since 1994, the Federal Aviation Administration says.

American Flight 550 left Phoenix at 11:55 p.m. local time Sunday and was diverted mid-flight, landing shortly after 7 a.m. EDT, American spokeswoman Andrea Huguely said. After the flight’s captain was stricken, the first officer safely took over with 147 passengers and five crew members onboard.

“American 550. Medical emergency. Captain is incapacitated,” the first officer calmly told the Syracuse airport tower, requesting a runway to land on.

In a recording of his exchange with the tower, he expresses concern whether ambulance medics can get on the plane quickly. He’s assured they can and is told to go into a gate where the medics would meet the plane. Aviation experts said there was never any danger to passengers because pilots and co-pilots are equally capable of flying the aircraft.