Off-duty pilot steps in to help land after captain falls ill | American News

An off-duty pilot stepped in to help land a plane after its captain fell ill on a flight to Columbus, Ohio.

Southwest Flight 6013 was forced to return to Vegas Wednesday as urgent medical attention was needed for the original pilot, who was “unfit”.

Fortunately, a passenger was well placed to help the crew.

The off-duty pilot from another airline stepped in to help with radio communication, while the other pilot from the southwest took control.

In archival radio recordings, the co-pilot is heard saying, “The captain became incapacitated en route.

“He’s in the back of the plane right now with a flight attendant.

“But we have to put him in an ambulance immediately.”

Southwest Airlines thanked the off-duty pilot who stepped in to help.

A spokesperson said: “We greatly appreciate their support and assistance.”

“We commend the crew for their professionalism and appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding of the situation,” the spokesperson added.

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the flight returned to Las Vegas and landed “without incident”.

The aircraft was able to land safely and a replacement crew was able to take over and operate the flight to Columbus.

The condition of the pilot who required medical attention has not yet been clarified.