We’ve heard of medical emergencies happening in-flight, but this brings “is there a doctor on board?” to a whole new level. USA Today is reporting that a Qatar Airways pilot died this morning on flight 645 from Manila to Doha, the Qatar Airways hub.
The flight was diverted to Malaysia, where a new crew was secured. The flight arrived in Doha just over four hours after its scheduled arrival.
The pilot’s speculated cause of death was a heart attack, but the airline has yet to confirm the cause of death or if the flight was ever at risk.
The last reported case of a pilot dying in flight happened on a Continental flight from Brussels to Newark in June of 2009.
What a terrifying ordeal. Our thoughts go out to the pilot’s family.