- Commercial airlines are taking precautions to prevent emergencies and keep passengers safe.
- Before every flight, pilots must undergo a thorough health check and self-assessment to make sure they are fit to fly.
- In the event that a pilot falls ill mid-flight and needs medical attention, another pilot will take over. Medical support can also be coordinated remotely.
Commercial pilots who fly 900,000-pound jets with hundreds on board are not superhuman. They have immune systems which can sometimes fail. Although it is rare for pilots get injured or sick on the job, this does happen. They can even die mid-flight. Last year, the average age of a bird was just over ten years. Turkish Airlines flight The Seattle-Istanbul flight was forced to land in New York after its 59-year old pilot died just a few hours into a 12-hour journey. Thankfully, these unfortunate incidents seldom lead to accidents or even situations that affect passengers—here’s what happens when a pilot gets sick mid-flight.
Preventative Measures
Most sick pilots will never even make it on the plane. “This is because we assess our ‘Fitness to Fly’ prior to each flight,” explains Adam Cohen, a captain at SkyWest Airlines. The FAA pre-flight checklist for pilots has been called the IMSAFE Checklist. The letters represent alcohol, fatigue, illness, medication and stress. Pilots should not fly if they aren’t feeling 100% in any of the categories, or if they have been affected by alcohol, medication, or stress.
To fly commercial aircraft with more than six passengers all pilots must have a medical certification issued by an Aviation Medical Examiner. The certificate is only valid for six to twelve months depending on their age. Pilots are required to be regularly examined by a physician and cannot be morbidly overweight or suffer from substance abuse.
What Happens if a Pilot is Sick in Flight?
Despite the FAA and airlines’ best efforts to ensure commercial pilots are healthy—they even feed them different meals to prevent the entire flight deck from suffering from food poisoning—pilots occasionally fall ill during a flight they’re working. This does not necessarily indicate a mayday. Rock Saddy, pilot and liaison with the FAA, says that in the event of a sick or incapacitated pilot, the other pilot has the full qualifications to safely operate the plane. Cirrus Aviation Services. “Commercial flight always has at least 2 trained pilots in the cockpit, and sometimes, especially on long-haul flights, there may be a relief captain on board.”
Flight attendants are also trained to help in cases of medical emergency. In addition to keeping passengers comfortable, flight attendants are trained to assist in medical emergencies. according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. aircrafts with one or more flight attendants on board are required to have a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved automated external defibrillator on board as well as a first aid kit, plus an emergency medical kit Some medications are not included in first aid kits.
Saddy tells Travel + Leisure Many airlines offer 24/7 services like this MedLink The system allows flight crews to communicate with emergency room physicians via radio, satellite or phone. The doctor instructs the pilot to divert the flight to the nearest airport to receive medical treatment for the pilot.
Passenger Volunteers
Many frequent flyers can remember a time on a plane when the crew asked passengers to volunteer in case of an emergency. The Aviation Medical Assistance Act of 1998 was passed because this occurs frequently. Most often, it is another passenger and not the flight pilot who requires assistance.
It only covers domestic flights within the U.S. You may not be covered on international flights. If you have consumed alcohol, you may be held liable for negligence or misconduct. You decide whether you want to help. Read up on the rules before you go.
