An off-duty pilot stepped in to help the plane land after the captain fell ill on the flight to Columbus, Ohio.
Southwest Airlines flight 6013 forced to turn back las vegas On Wednesday, the former pilot needed urgent medical attention for being “incapacitated.”
Fortunately, a passenger happened to be able to help the crew.
An off-duty pilot from another airline jumped in to help with radio communications, while another Southwest pilot took control.
In the radio archival recording, the co-pilot can be heard saying: “The captain was incapacitated en route.
“He’s in the back of the plane right now with a flight attendant.
“But we need to get him into an ambulance immediately.”
Southwest thanked off-duty pilots for coming forward to help.
“We are very grateful for their support and assistance,” a spokesman said.
“We commend the crew for their professionalism and thank our customers for their patience and understanding in this situation,” the spokesperson added.
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the flight returned to Las Vegas and “landed safely.”
The plane was able to land safely and the alternate crew was able to take over and operate the flight to Columbus.
The condition of the pilot who required medical attention was not yet known.