ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A United Airlines flight from Houston to San Francisco had to be diverted to Albuquerque, New Mexico, after the co-pilot passed out. It was the second U.S. pilot scare in two days, after an American Airlines pilot died in flight on Monday.
Albuquerque airport spokesman Dan Jiron says air-traffic controllers got word shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday that the plane would be landing after the first officer, who is second in command, had a medical episode. The plane landed without incident around 8:20 a.m.
Jiron says the co-pilot regained consciousness and was able to walk off the plane to be transported to a hospital. Jiron had no details about the co-pilot's condition or what may have caused the episode.
Co-pilot passes out on United Airlines flight; plane diverted to Albuquerque: http://t.co/jKGinnpOR9 pic.twitter.com/uIVisiz15V— Good Morning America (@GMA) October 6, 2015
United was aware of the diversion but didn't immediately comment.
The flight, United 1614, took off from Albuquerque for San Francisco about four hours after the unexpected landing.
The plane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, seats 219 passengers on United. There are two pilots in the cockpit.
On Monday, an American Airlines captain became gravely ill while flying from Phoenix to Boston. He later died. That plane also landed safely after being diverted to Syracuse, New York.
Additional reporting by Mashable.