A Delta Air Lines captain recently suffered a medical emergency and had to divert a Boston-bound plane to Michigan so he could get to a hospital.
The incident happened on Tuesday, Aug. 25, aboard Delta Air Lines flight No. 437, which was headed from Los Angeles International Airport to Boston Logan International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told USA TODAY on Thursday, Aug. 27.
"This is the captain. I am the one who is ill. Um, I am going to taxi the jet to the gate and then I need to go to the hospital," the captain can be heard telling the tower on an air traffic recording, per CBS News and ATC.com.
The plane left Los Angeles around 11 a.m. PT and was supposed to land in Boston about five hours later, according to flight-tracking
website FlightAware. Instead, the crew had to divert to an airport in Detroit nearly four hours into the trip at around 5:45 p.m. local time.
The flight eventually took off and landed in Boston nearly two hours later than planned, just before 9 p.m. ET, per FlightAware.
Delta Air Lines confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY on Thursday, Aug. 27, that a "crew illness" occurred aboard the Boeing 757 that day.
The crew followed normal procedures when alerting air traffic controllers about the issue, Delta said in its statement.
"We apologize to our customers for this disruption in their travels," the airline added.
What happens when a pilot gets sick?
Rock Saddy, a pilot and liaison for private jet charter company Cirrus Aviation Services, told travel magazine Travel + Leisure last year that commercial flights usually have at least two trained pilots on the flight deck. For longer flights, there may even be a relief pilot on board, she said.
“If a pilot becomes sick or incapacitated in flight, the other pilot is fully qualified to take over and safely operate the aircraft,” Saddy added.
Pilots who fly commercial planes with over six passengers aboard also need medical certificates issued by official aviation medical examiners, the outlet reported. The certificate serves as proof that the pilots are physically and mentally healthy enough to travel. They last for 6 to 12 months depending on how old the pilot is.
Flight attendants are also trained to help with medical emergencies, and some airlines have 24/7 access to MedLink and other programs that help flight crews connect with emergency room doctors via phone, satellite or radio.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s trending team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sick Delta Air Lines captain diverts plane. 'I'm the one that's ill'
