Continental flight - Pilot dies, Co-Pilot lands the plane

[DFW]

On a flight from Houston bound for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, the Pilot took ill and eventually passed away. Co-Pilot made an emergency landing. Good work by the Co-Pilot to get a handle on the situation.

http://tinyurl.com/2f6cve

[David747]

Sad story about the pilot.

[fleabyte]

At least he died doing what he likely loved.

[earthman]

Almost reminds me of an old joke:

I would like to die like my grandpa, peacefully, in my sleep. Not screaming in terror and agony, like the passengers in his car.

[regi]

I assume this case will force new health procedures/health checks for pilots. You do not just get a heart attack. This is mostly something that was simmering months or even years before.

[fokker_f27]

That's a very scary story Sorry about the pilot's death.

[A318]

I assume this case will force new health procedures/health checks for pilots. You do not just get a heart attack. This is mostly something that was simmering months or even years before.

Pilots medicals are yearly and normaly more as enough. People do get heart attacks just like that, some things can never been seen during a medical even not when it is done by a cardiologist. People do die, even we don't want them to.

[achace]

It would have been a whole lot scarier if the co-pilot had been one of the "new breed" of "Never flown solo" commercial pilots that have just started training in Oz. purely to sit in the right hand seat.

What a dreadful concept!!!

Cheers
Achace