A Southwest Airlines flight had to be diverted on Wednesday, after the pilot suffered from a medical emergency, and a passenger was the one to take over the controls.
Southwest Flight 6013 to Columbus, Ohio, left Las Vegas, Nevada, at 6:30 in the morning, when the pilot had such serious abdominal pain that it caused him to pass out midair.
What could have been another major crisis for the FAA, only resulted in a diverted flight, when one of the passengers turned out to be an off-duty pilot from another airline.
The unidentified pilot took over radio communication duties on the Flight Deck, while the co-pilot flew the plane, according to CBS News.
“The captain became incapacitated while enroute,” he called in to air traffic control.
“He’s in the back of the aircraft right now with a flight attendant, but we need to get him on an ambulance immediately.”
The flight crew was medically assisted by a nurse, who stepped in to treat the sick Captain while the flight returned to Las Vegas.
“It’s standard procedure for our Flight Crews to request assistance from traveling medical personnel during in-flight medical events involving Customers, this situation just so happened to involve one of our Employees,” Southwest Airlines said in a statement.
“We greatly appreciate their support and assistance,” spokesperson Chris Perry added.
The Hoeing 737 landed in Vegas just before 8:00 a.m., and a backup crew flew the passengers to Columbus.
Southwest did not disclose the nature of the pilot’s illness, or offer any updates on his condition.
In less savory flight news, a woman had to be dragged of a Frontier Airlines plane in Miami, after she threatened to harm a fellow passenger this week.
Texas native Simone Bryna Kim, 24, got into a verbal altercation with a male passenger, while their flight to Philadelphia was still grounded at Miami International Airport on Tuesday.
Kim screamed at a seated man in a blue and white baseball cap as the plane was in the middle of the boarding process.
“If you’re really from Philly, show me what’s up,” she yelled, as a harried flight attendant blocked her from advancing on the man.
“Show me what’s up. I’m going to beat you the f–k up on this s–t, I guarantee you, I guarantee you,” Kim ranted.
“I dare you, I dare you, what you trying to be on,” she continued.
Unfortunately for Kim, another passenger recorded the entire altercation and posted it to TikTok.
According to the Miami-Dade Police Department, the crew repeatedly asked her to depart the plane, but she refused.
Responding officers were forced to place her under arrest, but she began “pushing, pulling and tensing” in retaliation, and even scratched up an officer with her fingernails.
The behavior got worse as they escorted her off the jet bridge, when she kicked one of the law enforcement officers, which almost sent him toppling down the stairs.
The passenger recording was able to catch several officers carrying her out to a police cruiser as she fought them.
Kim reportedly tried to bite three of them and was kicking as they put leg restraints on her, while trying to get her into the vehicle.
Though she bonded out of jail, Kim faces a slew of charges for the ordeal. She was charged with a misdemeanor for trespassing, and three more for battery on a police officer.
Kim was also charged with two felonies for battery on a police officer and another for resisting an officer with violence.
