Alaska Airlines plane lands safely after pilot passes out

Updated 4:27 p.m. EST

PORTLAND, Ore. The Alaska Airlines pilot who lost consciousness during a Seattle-bound flight Thursday night, prompting an emergency landing, was suffering from food poisoning or a stomach virus, an airline spokesman said Friday.

The co-pilot landed Flight 473 safely after declaring an emergency to get priority care for the pilot, spokesman Paul McElroy said. All of the airlines' pilots are trained to fly single-handedly.

The pilot lost consciousness "somewhere over Oregon," McElroy said, then later regained consciousness and left the cockpit. A doctor on board the flight tended to him in the cabin until the plane landed and was met by medical personnel on the runway.

McElroy said the pilot was in good condition Friday at a hospital where doctors examined him. The airline declined to release the pilot's name or age.

The Boeing 737-700, with 116 passengers and five crew members on board, left Los Angeles about 6:30 p.m. and was diverted to Portland, touching down there at about 9 p.m., reports CBS Portland affiliate KOIN-TV. It had been due to arrive in Seattle at 9:30 p.m.

McElroy says the pilot has been flying for Alaska for 28 years and was current on his six-month medical evaluation. The co-pilot is an 11-year Alaska Air veteran.

On Jan. 22, the co-pilot on an Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Las Vegas fainted briefly, and the pilot requested emergency landing priority to get prompt medical assistance for him.

"At this point, we do not believe there was a connection between the two incidents," McElvoy said.

Twenty passengers with a tight schedule for connecting flights were put on a Horizon Air shuttle flight to Seattle on Thursday night, the spokesman said.

A new pilot was dispatched to Portland to fly the remaining passengers to Seattle on board the same plane.

[nkezele]

It's Alaska Airlines not "Alaskan" and it was flight 473 now 472. Looks like the anchor needs to retire...

[Swingmanic]

I wonder how many cases of "Aerotoxic Syndrome" are reported and being investigated?..I'm sure that it's a real problem for pilots, crew and passengers, particularly on long haul flights..On another note, Michael O'Leary, the outspoken chief executive or Ryanair, has made a suggestion that co-pilots should be used to serve tea and coffee during flights, because their services were not needed in the cockpit.

[PourpaixPourpaix]

I come from an airline family, and I agree that pilots should retire early. It was age 60 in my father's time, and my brother recently retired at age 60 because a pilot's life at upper altitude is hard on the body. The stress of dealing with a Mickey Mouse bureaucracy, extended exposure to 4000 ft pressurization, and exposure to exotic 35000+ ft particle bombardments take a toll.

Myself, a veteran of Boeing, think we've made a horrible mistake taking the third man out of the cockpit. Yes, a First Officer is fully qualified to fly the plane, but some are relatively inexperienced because it is now the entry level position. I don't consider military pilots immediately qualified for airline work.

A two-man cockpit for long overseas flights is a poor safety choice, especially considering that those are the flights that attract the senior (read old and ready to retire) Captains. Finding yourself six hours from land with only one pilot is a marginal situation. Think of how you feel after staying up all night on an overseas flight. Think the old-man Captain feels better after doing that a couple dozen times a year?

[HankReardon01]

The hard numbers reflecting safely completed air carrier operations as a statistic of departures has never been greater. But everyone has their opinion.

You may be willing to pay the added cost of re-introducing the three-man cockpit, but it's a fair assessment that the vast majority of consumers are not.

[jumkey]

Mandatory retirement for airline pilots is 65. First Officers are as fully qualified for the aircraft they fly as are the Captain - in fact, flight duties are usually split equally between the two. There was no mention as to the age of the pilot but given the choice I'd rather fly with someone with 28 years of flight experience regardless of his or her age.

For someone with the self-appointed moniker of "ReasonableVoicesAmongUs" you would do well for yourself to have at least a rudimentary knowledge of the issue at hand before opining about it.

[CBSislame]

"Surely you're not serious..."

[canislupus16]

"Alaska Airlines plane lands safely after pilot passes out"
Given that there's a co-pilot on every commercial flight, this should not be news

[signseeker1717]

Unless this is a daily occurrence, I'd say it IS "news". Most people don't expect commercial airline pilots to pass out while flying passenger loads AT ALL, co-pilot or not.

[MWG1111]

That's pretty discrimnatory. There is no information on why he fainted. He has a lot of experience and may have experienced a medical issue. Or he might have been high on weed or drunk. We don't know why it happened but you draw a conclusion that it must be related to his age.

[signseeker1717]

The article mentions medical issues that were NOT age-related(flu, etc.). The years of experience given (for BOTH pilots, BTW) are simply facts to fill out the story, and could be ALSO taken as reassuring, rather than slights on their reputations.

[ReasonableVoicesAmongUs]

Periodic flight physicals are obviously not enough. Pilots should face mandatory retirement at a very early age because of the potential danger in their profession. Yes, this is a case where the broad brush applies.

[mjvwsr]

And then something happens and you will scream about lack of experience.

[SukmyBollix]

Considering people of all ages can faint or pass out , what age do you suggest pilots retire at . I would suggest that they have 2 pilots so if something happens the other one could land the plane , oh wait they thought of that already my bad .