UA Pilot Incapacitated on Des Moines ,IA to Denver,CO

[Rail Engineer]

From the Aviation Herald.


A United Boeing 737-800, registration N16234 performing flight UA-1637 from Des Moines, IA to Denver, CO (USA) with 154 passengers and 6 crew, was en-route at FL320 about 90nm west of Omaha, NE (USA) when the captain became unconscious.


The first officer declared emergency, turned the aircraft around and diverted to Omaha, two nurses amongst the passenger provided first aid to the captain who had suffered a cardiac problem causing him to become unconscious.


The first officer, maintaining routine communication all the way to landing, landed safely on Omaha's runway 32L about 25 minutes later. The captain was taken to a hospital and is on the way to recovery.

[Pinkman]

...I still admire the American penchant for understatement...

Denver-bound flight diverted due to medical emergency | 9news.com (http://www.9news.com/news/article/371322/222/Flight-diverted-due-to-medical-emergency)

"I saw the flight attendant walking to the front of the plane with an AED. That's not good at all," passenger Michael Glade said

Sounds like a good job - nurses and FO alike...

[JeroenC]

And airline for having an AED!

[mickjoebill]

How did the nurses know they were needed?
The report does not mention the passenger hearing an announcement over the PA…

[Rick777]

Makes you wonder how a 250 hour pay to fly FO would have handled it.

[Big Pistons Forever]

Makes you wonder how a 250 hour pay to fly FO would have handled it.

Fortunately the FAA has now made that scenario impossible, unlike the situation in the other first world countries including all the European ones.....

[Denti]

Makes you wonder how a 250 hour pay to fly FO would have handled it.

Dunno about other airlines, in our airlines that is exactly the scenario that would have been simulated before the trainee would have been released for flight without an additional safety FO on the jump seat. Which is usually around day 3 to 4 of linetraining. And yes, our trainees are currently mainly MPLs, that fly most of their 250 hours in level D full flight simulators.

[glendalegoon]

any more info on the captain?

[flyboyike]

Go ahead, tell me how it's perfectly wonderful to fly after 60.

[CaptainProp]

With a low-ish BMI, healthy diet, no smoking etc etc I would say it's very safe to fly after 60. Even with high BMI, burgers and accompanying smokes it's "safe" as we are always two pilots on duty, right? :ok:

[Desert185]

Flyboyike:

It is! :ok:

[FoxHunter]

flyboyike Go ahead, tell me how it's perfectly wonderful to fly after 60.


It is wonderful. Sorry I had to retire at age 65. BTW In the years since the age limit has been moved up to 65 the airlines have had the best safety record ever.

[glendalegoon]

I had a friend who by age 30 had three heart attacks. He maintained a first class medical(after some dramatic paperwork). He had an unusual cholesterol problem and was one of the first people put onccertain statin type drugs.

He is still flying safely in his late 50's.

we don't know the age of the captain, do we?

[bubbers44]

The young guys just want us to get out of their next seat. They are a bit biased about anything that delays that move, don't you think?

[ShyTorque]

A pilot colleague of mine died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 28.

I reckon even flyboyike is 10 years over his best before date and should get a ground job now, before it's too late.

[d71146]

The commander on the flight was 61 years of age I 'heard'.

[flyboyike]

Says right in the article how old he was.

[Una Due Tfc]

Heres hoping he makes a full recovery, and well done to the carrier for putting the AED on board. Alot of companies only have them on long haul

[flyboyike]

In the US, I believe all passenger 121 carriers have at least one AED on board, some carry two or more.

[Ozlander1]

How did the nurses know they were needed?
The report does not mention the passenger hearing an announcement over the PA…


Some thing you don't blab to the public.