Air Canada Flight Experiences Emergency Landing After Pilot’s Seizure

Passengers aboard an Air Canada flight found themselves in a terrifying situation when the pilot reportedly suffered a seizure, prompting the aircraft to veer sharply and make an emergency landing at Boston Logan Airport.

Rodney McDonald, a witness, described the moment the pilot of the Pal Airlines-operated flight seemed to have a seizure shortly after takeoff from Newark, New Jersey, at 12:39 p.m. on Wednesday.

“The instant the plane turned, we sensed something was off; there wasn’t any turbulence,” McDonald recounted.

He was traveling with his wife and their two children, part of the 61 passengers headed to Halifax, Canada.

“The plane started to swerve violently. It felt like someone was shaking the controls repeatedly,” he shared.

In a moment of panic, McDonald said he and his family began praying, fully aware of the gravity of the situation.

Initially, he was seated away from his family but was soon ushered to the cockpit by a flight attendant to help the incapacitated captain.

“It was really scary,” McDonald expressed. “When I returned to my family, I noticed the pilot was not aggressive; he just seemed unable to control himself. It became evident he needed to be restrained.”

McDonald explained that they managed to hold down the pilot for about 40 minutes, employing as many seat belts as possible to secure his limbs.

Authorities at the airport were alerted at 1:40 p.m. and the plane successfully touched down before 2 p.m.

During the emergency, audio from Air Traffic Control revealed, “The pilot is incapacitated. The plane is being flown by the co-pilot.”

Communications with other crews indicated to them that Runway 27 would be off-limits due to what was described as an “immigration emergency.”

Air Canada later stated that the captain had developed a medical issue and was removed from the cockpit following safety procedures, though they did not elaborate on the nature of the emergency.

The co-pilot managed to take control of the aircraft, adjusted the flight path to Boston, and landed without incident.

Once on the ground, ambulances quickly arrived and the aircraft was towed to the gate.

After the ordeal, the plane left Boston Logan later that evening and reached Halifax shortly before 9:30 p.m. local time. The conditions surrounding the pilot remain unclear.