Passengers get scare as pilot falls ill mid-air

GEORGE NEWS - Passengers on a recent FlySafair flight from George to Johannesburg experienced some anxious moments when the pilot fell ill mid-air and the help of a passenger, a qualified pilot, was called in to assist to safely land the plane at OR Tambo.

An announcement was made from the cockpit to ask if there was a qualified pilot on board to assist, which gave passengers of flight FA711 on 29 January quite a fright.

But FlySafair confirmed in a statement the following day that this was in line with standard operating procedures.

When the captain reported feeling unwell during the last stages of the journey, the first officer (co-pilot) - who is fully certified and trained to operate the aircraft independently - assumed command and conducted a seamless landing at OR Tambo.

"Flight FA711 departed George Airport on schedule just after 11:00 AM and arrived safely at OR Tambo at approximately 12:30 PM.

"All flight operations proceeded as normal throughout the journey. As the aircraft prepared for descent, the captain informed the first officer that he was experiencing discomfort and advised him to assume full control for the remainder of the flight.

“Following standard safety protocols, the first officer requested priority landing clearance and called for assistance from any qualified pilots onboard.

"We were fortunate to have a qualified pilot among the passengers who assisted the first officer by reading out the required checklists, although they did not conduct any flying themselves,” FlaySafair said.

Emergency medical personnel were on standby upon arrival to assist the captain, who was safely escorted off the aircraft and received immediate care. “Passengers remained calm and cooperative throughout, disembarking as usual once the aircraft was towed to the designated parking bay.

“FlySafair commends our first officer for his exemplary professionalism and adherence to safety protocols. We extend our best wishes to our captain for a swift recovery and express our gratitude to our crew, the assisting passenger, and all passengers for their understanding and cooperation.”