Latest news with #medicalSupport
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
What Happens When a Pilot Gets Sick or Dies Mid-flight?
Two pilots weigh in on the preventative measures and policies in place to keep everyone Points Commercial airlines take precautions to keep passengers safe and avoid in-flight emergencies. Pilots must pass strict health checks and assess themselves before every flight to ensure they're fit to fly. If a pilot gets sick mid-flight, the other pilot takes full control, and medical support can be coordinated 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. Preventative Measures 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. What Happens If a Pilot Gets Sick Mid-flight 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. Passenger Volunteers 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. Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
What Happens When a Pilot Gets Sick or Dies Mid-flight?
Two pilots weigh in on the preventative measures and policies in place to keep everyone Points Commercial airlines take precautions to keep passengers safe and avoid in-flight emergencies. Pilots must pass strict health checks and assess themselves before every flight to ensure they're fit to fly. If a pilot gets sick mid-flight, the other pilot takes full control, and medical support can be coordinated 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. Preventative Measures 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. What Happens If a Pilot Gets Sick Mid-flight 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. Passenger Volunteers 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. Read the original article on Travel & Leisure Solve the daily Crossword
Irish Times
01-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Irish doctors behind Gaza fund-raising effort call on Australian government to speak out against attacks
A group of Irish doctors working in Perth are behind a fund-raising and awareness initiative that has raised over $170,000AUD (€96,000) for humanitarian aid in Gaza and received the support of nearly 1,000 medics across Australia . The campaign started in March, 2024, with five doctors sitting around Dr Mairéad Heaney's kitchen table. Dr Heaney is a paediatric consultant from Galway who has been based in Australia for 21 years. She and her fellow doctors had been left wondering what, if anything, they could do to help the people of Gaza. Their campaign reached a landmark last week with full-page adverts – paid for by hundreds of doctors – running in both the Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne Age. The adverts called on the Australian government to take action in opposition to the ongoing crisis in Gaza and the West Bank. 'When we first met, we talked about how devastated and helpless we felt about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and what we could possibly do to help,' said Dr Heaney. 'None of us felt safe speaking out at work as Australia is much more like America in terms of influential lobby groups, censorship and lack of mainstream media coverage.' READ MORE The small group had 'no idea where to start, no idea how to fund-raise'. Over the course of more than a year, they arranged for the screening of multiple films highlighting the plight of Palestinians. They also ran a GoFundMe campaign, which raised tens of thousands of Australian dollars. That money has been donated to charities working on the ground in Gaza. 'We then decided we needed to speak out publicly as doctors,' said Dr Heaney. They wrote an advert for publication in the Melbourne Age and the Sydney Morning Herald under the headline 'We cannot stay silent'. It called on the Australian government to take a stronger stand against the ongoing Israeli military action in Gaza which has resulted in the deaths of more than 53,000 people, including more than 15,000 children. The advert also called for the immediate release of Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas in the wake of terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7th, 2023. 'We have been very careful to be apolitical,' said Dr Heaney. 'We focused on humanitarian issues [and] thought we would be lucky to get 100 signatures.' [ Gaza doctor whose nine children were killed in Israeli strike dies from wounds from same attack Opens in new window ] [ Israeli attack in Gaza saw tank open fire at thousands of people en route to get aid, medics say Opens in new window ] She said the small group was 'going to chip in to raise the $9000 ad cost'. However, she added: 'Over five days, we reached 900 doctors all over Australia who were willing to speak out and not be silent. This included so many influential Australian doctors. Former Australians of the Year, professors, college presidents and multiple Order Of Australia medal recipients, as well as so many normal doctors like us.' She said many young Irish doctors who have come to Perth for a year or two 'have felt very isolated in their advocacy for Palestine '. These young doctors have joined the Perth Doctors Medical Aid for Palestine group. The group plans to deliver a statement to the Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese this week and they are continuing to raise funds on the GoFundMe platform -
