Pilot dies midflight over Atlantic, plane lands OK

You'd think this would happen more often. After all, people drop dead for all sorts of reasons every day, anywhere.

A Continental Airlines captain died during a trans-Atlantic flight Thursday, prompting the co-pilot and a second pilot aboard the jet to take over the controls, Federal Aviation Administration officials said.

The airline said he "apparently" died of natural causes.

The plane, a Boeing 777-200 carrying 247 passengers, took off from Brussels Airport in Belgium at around 10:06 a.m. local time (4:06 a.m. EDT).

The crew on board of flight 61 included an additional relief pilot who took the place of the deceased pilot to assist the co-pilot during the remainder of the flight, BNO reported.

"The flight continued safely with two pilots at the controls," said Kelly Cripe, a spokeswoman for Continental Airlines.

The deceased pilot was 60-years-old, from Newark and had more than 32 years of service with the airline. His name was not immediately released.

The aircraft safely landed at 11:49 a.m. EDT after it received "priority handling" at the airport. It was escorted by emergency vehicles to the gate.

The flight was scheduled for slightly more than eight hours, which under federal law requires the airline to hire a third pilot for the flight who monitors the controls while either the captain or co-pilot take rests during the cruise portion of the flight. The second co-pilot was available to step in after the captain was stricken, Continental said in a statement.

Simon Shapiro of Brooklyn, N.Y., was one of the first passengers off the jet in New Jersey, AP reported. He said he was seated in first class and didn't know anything unusual was going on in the cockpit.

"I knew nothing until I saw all the cops" at Newark International, Shapiro said. "The first time I'm hearing it is from your mouth," he told a reporter, noting "there were announcements, no panic, no nothing" aboard the flight.

Martha Love of Stewartsville, N.J., said she was sitting in first class during the flight. She said the crew broadcast a request for doctors, and more than a half-dozen doctors approached the front of the plane, but the pilot's death was not announced.

The passengers did not realize how serious the situation was until they saw fire trucks lining up as the plane landed on the runway, Love said.

After decades of requiring pilots to retire when they reached age 60, Congress changed the law on Dec. 13, 2007, to allow pilots to fly up to age 65, AP reported. Airline pilots must receive a medical check every six months by an FAA-approved physician.

Source: BNO, The Associated Press
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