CABIN FEVER

Off-Duty Pilot From Another Airline Helps Land Southwest Plane After Captain Is ‘Incapacitated’

Like a scene from a movie, the passenger heroically made their way to the flight deck.

When the captain of a Southwest Airlines flight became “incapacitated” Wednesday, a pilot from another airline stepped up and helped to land the plane. The flight from Las Vegas to Columbus, Ohio, ran into trouble when the captain “needed medical attention,” a Southwest spokesperson told NBC News. Radio traffic recordings of the incident reportedly document someone saying the captain felt stomach pain before he “fainted or became incapacitated” roughly five minutes later. The person says the captain “came back” around a minute later and was being cared for in the back of the aircraft. “We need to get him on an ambulance immediately,” the person can be heard saying as the flight turned back to Las Vegas. The Southwest spokesperson said a credentialed pilot from another airline happened to be onboard the flight and they entered the flight deck to help with radio communications as another Southwest safely landed the plane. “We greatly appreciate their support and assistance,” the spokesperson added.