(CNN) — A flight attendant with a pilot’s license ditched her normal duties and stepped in for a sick copilot of an American Airlines flight before the plane landed in Chicago, Illinois, airline officials said.
The first officer had become sick with “flulike” symptoms Monday, according to Tim Wagner, a spokesman for American Airlines. “He went back into the passenger cabin,” he said. “That’s when the captain began to solicit help from any passengers with a pilot’s license.”
One of the five flight attendants on board flight 1612 from San Francisco, California, told the captain that she is a commercial pilot, and she immediately took over the first officer’s responsibilities, Wagner said. The Chicago Tribune has identified the flight attendant as Patti DeLuna, 61.
Full story: Flight attendant helps land plane when first officer falls ill – CNN.com