The plane had been traveling from Newark, New Jersey to Halifax, Nova Scotia, when the incident occurred on Wednesday, June 24
Credit: CBS Boston/Youtube
NEED TO KNOW
- An Air Canada flight was diverted to Boston after the captain experienced a medical emergency mid-flight
- Passengers helped restrain the pilot and assisted as the co-pilot took control, per ABC News
- “The moment the plane swerved, I knew something was wrong because it was not turbulence,” passenger Rodney McDonald told the outlet
Passengers reportedly stepped in to help after an Air Canada captain experienced a medical emergency during a flight from New Jersey to Nova Scotia, Canada.
On Wednesday, June 24, Flight AC7664, operated by regional partner PAL Airlines, had been traveling from Newark to Halifax when the aircraft suddenly swerved mid-flight, ABC News reported.
Passengers told the outlet that the pilot appeared to be having a seizure for around 40 minutes. The flight was diverted to Boston, Mass., after the co-pilot took control of the plane, ABC News stated.
The airline told the outlet that the pilot had since been taken to the hospital for medical treatment.
Credit: Getty
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The flight was diverted at around 1:40 p.m. local time, CBC News reported, citing Massachusetts State Police. Police said “a crew member [had] reported a medical emergency."
Air Canada confirmed the flight had been carrying 61 passengers, stating on Wednesday that they were working to help customers make new travel arrangements and “complete their journeys as soon as possible,” per CBC News.
The airline said in a statement, “During the flight, the captain experienced a medical issue and was removed from the flight deck as per safety protocols. The first officer took control of the aircraft and diverted the flight to Boston, where it landed safely," per WCVB.
Credit: Getty
Rodney McDonald, who was traveling with his wife and two sons, was among those who helped restrain the pilot, he told ABC News.
"The moment the plane swerved, I knew something was wrong because it was not turbulence," he recalled to the outlet, adding, “It really felt like someone had jilted the controls and then it happened over and over again. And, you know, every thought goes through your mind, you start praying. My boys instantly started praying."
"One of the flight attendants entered the cockpit frantically, and a few moments later, he was dragging one of the pilots out of the cockpit onto the aisle way of the airplane," McDonald told ABC News.
The passenger said that the pilot appeared to be having a seizure, adding that he and four others helped restrain him as the co-pilot took over flying the aircraft, per the outlet.
McDonald continued, “Yeah, it was really horrifying. I was sitting in the front row, my family was from [there] back, just the way the seat arrangement worked out," adding, "And I went back to sit with them and then realized that the pilot was out of control physically, not violently, like it was clear that he was not in control of his faculties and needed to be restrained."
He went on, "[We] worked to get him under control, it was a fairly strenuous 40 minutes of keeping him down and using as many seatbelts as we could to restrain his legs arms and chest."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises not to hold down someone who is potentially experiencing a seizure or stop their movements, as this could cause injury.
Instead, the health agency states that anybody around someone possibly experiencing a seizure should keep themselves and others calm, as well as stay with the person and remove anything near them that could cause injury.
McDonald told ABC News that a registered nurse assisted the pilot, as well as helping to direct passengers. He also praised the flight attendants for remaining calm throughout the incident.
Air Canada, the Massachusetts Port Authority and the Massachusetts State Police did not immediately respond after being contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.
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