Southwest Pilot Becomes ‘Incapacitated’ in Midair, Off-Duty Pilot from Another Airline Forced to Step In

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The pilot of a Southwest Airlines aircraft became unable to perform his duties Wednesday during a flight from Las Vegas to Columbus, Ohio.

As a result, a pilot from another airline who happened to be traveling on the plane was pressed into service as the plane returned to Las Vegas, according to NBC.

“A credentialed pilot from another airline, who was on board, entered the flight deck and assisted with radio communication while our Southwest pilot flew the aircraft,” Southwest representative Chris Perry said, according to CNN.

“We greatly appreciate their support and assistance,” Perry said.

Perry said it was “standard procedure for our flight crews to request assistance from traveling medical personnel during in-flight medical events involving customers, this situation just so happened to involve one of our employees.”

Southwest said that a nurse who was aboard the flight helped tend to the pilot.

The airline did not release the nature of the medical emergency suffered by the pilot.

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