A PLANE
carrying nearly 200 passengers was forced to make an emergency landing after
the co-pilot passed out, just hours after another captain suffered a heart
attack and died on board another flight.
Air
traffic controllers received the notice that the aircraft would have to make a
last-minute diversion around 3pm GMT.
The United Airlines plane travelling to San Fransisco, US, made
the landing in Albuquerque, New Mexico, shortly after.
The co-pilot managed to regain consciousness and was able to
walk off the plane before being taken to hospital, according to Albuquerque
airport spokesman Dan Jiron.
Jiron
was unable to give details about the co-pilot's condition or what may have
triggered the medical episode.
A spokeswoman for United Airlines said 177 passengers and 10
crew members were on board.
The scare comes just a day after an American Airlines pilot died during a fight after he suffered a fatal heart
attack.
Captain Michael Johnson, 57, fell ill while flying 147
passengers on board an Airbus A320 from Phoenix to Boston, according to his
widow.
The co-pilot managed to successfully land the aircraft following
the emergency.
In a radio call to Syracuse airport in New York, the co-pilot
said: "American 550, medical emergency, captain is incapacitated, request
handling for runway."
The air
crew are reported to have told passengers that the pilot was unwell and the
plane was making an emergency landing.
Mr Johnston, from West Jordan, Utah, was reported to have had 25
years flying experience under his belt and was a father to eight children.
His
widow, Betty Jean Johnston, revealed that a coroner told her he is "99.9
per cent" positive that her husband suffered a heart attack during the
flight.
Mrs Johnston told CBS affiliate KUTV: "He has had problems
with his heart. He seemed perfectly fine.
"We've all been together, just comforting each other, it's
kind of surreal. You just feel numb, it's not real.
"He's a pilot, he leaves Sunday night he doesn't get back
until Wednesday, it just feels like he's on his trip.
"The coroner has called me, he said it was 99.9 per cent
positive it was a heart attack."
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