American Airlines Pilot Dies While in Flight

now to that tragedy on board an American Airlines flight from Phoenix bound for Boston the pilots suddenly dying mid-flight that plane then making an emergency landing ambulances rushing to meet the plane ABC's David Kerley with the 9-1-1 call and the copilot who landed the jet in Syracuse surrounding that American Airlines jet ambulances and fire trucks but paramedics were in action in the cockpit after this in-flight radio call Derek use American 550 medical emergency captain is incapacitated request handling for runway 1 0 landing the first officer at the controls now solo on the Phoenix to Boston

flight with 147 passengers diverting to Syracuse and word goes out to ground crews pilot is unresponsive not breathing a flight attendant also a nurse attends to the pilot the copilot remains cool as the a320 approaches just asking that medics board as soon as they're on the ground understood as long as they have a way to get on the airplane quickly when they don't get to the captain thank you Roger suit passengers see the emergency crews but don't realize what had happened we thought that he just wasn't feeling well we had no idea he had passed

it was extremely shocking this is absolutely the reason that we have two fully qualified pilots in the cockpit either one of them trained to the same standard this is a rare occurrence the FAA tells us that it's only happened eight times in the past 20 years David all right David Kerley with us tonight you