What Happens When a Pilot Gets Sick or Dies Mid-flight?

Travel + Leisure

4 days ago

Commercial pilots may fly 900,000-pound jumbo jets with hundreds of passengers on board, but that doesn't make them superhuman. Like us, they have immune systems that sometimes falter. While it's uncommon for pilots to get sick or hurt on the job, it's not unheard of. And rarely, they pass away mid-flight. Just last year, a Turkish Airlines flight from Seattle to Istanbul was forced to make an emergency landing in New York when its 59-year-old pilot collapsed and died a few hours into the 12-hour flight. Thankfully, these unfortunate incidents seldom lead to accidents or even situations that affect passengers—here's what happens when a pilot gets sick mid-flight.
It's important to note that most sick pilots never make it onto the flight in the first place. 'This is because we assess our 'Fitness to Fly' prior to each flight,' explains Adam Cohen, a captain at SkyWest Airlines. While it's not a comprehensive guide, the FAA's pre-flight health checklist for pilots is called the IMSAFE Checklist. The letters stand for illness, medication, stress, alcohol, fatigue, and emotion. If a pilot doesn't feel 100 percent in any category, or they've been impacted by medication or alcohol consumption, they should refrain from flying and notify their doctor.
Furthermore, in order to fly commercial planes carrying more than six passengers, all pilots need a medical certificate, issued by an official Aviation Medical Examiner. This certificate ensures they're physically and mentally healthy, and it's only good for 6-12 months, depending on the pilot's age. Pilots must be seen by a doctor regularly, and they can't be morbidly obese or have substance abuse issues.
Despite the FAA and airlines' best efforts to ensure commercial pilots are healthy—they even feed them different meals to prevent the entire flight deck from suffering from food poisoning—pilots occasionally fall ill during a flight they're working. However, this doesn't necessarily mean it's a mayday situation. 'If a pilot becomes sick or incapacitated in flight, the other pilot is fully qualified to take over and safely operate the aircraft,' explains Rock Saddy, a pilot and liaison for Cirrus Aviation Services. 'Commercial flights always have at least two trained pilots on the flight deck, and in some cases, particularly long-haul routes, a relief pilot may also be on board.'
In addition to keeping passengers comfortable, flight attendants are trained to assist in medical emergencies. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. aircrafts with one or more flight attendants on board are required to have a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved automated external defibrillator on board as well as a first aid kit, plus an emergency medical kit containing certain medications you wouldn't find in a first aid kit.
Saddy tells Travel + Leisure that many airlines also have 24/7 access to services such as MedLink that connect flight crews with emergency room doctors via phone, satellite, or radio. If the pilot is seriously ill, the trained doctor will instruct the pilot taking over to divert to the nearest appropriate airport so the sick pilot can receive medical attention.
Most frequent fliers can recall a time when they were on a flight and the crew asked passengers who were doctors or nurses to volunteer to assist in the event of a medical emergency. Because this happens rather frequently (although it's most often a fellow passenger, not the pilot, who needs help), the Aviation Medical Assistance Act, which passed in 1998, includes a section that protects medical personnel from being sued for providing 'good-faith' medical care in the event of an emergency.
However, this only applies to domestic flights within the U.S. It may not cover you on an international flight. And if you've been consuming alcohol, you could be liable for misconduct or negligence. Ultimately, whether or not you step forward to assist is up to you, so read up on the regulations before you travel.