Air Canada flight diverted after co-pilot falls ill
An Air Canada flight from Toronto had to make an emergency landing in Ireland Monday after a co-pilot suffered an apparent breakdown.
Flight 848 landed in Shannon, Ireland at 8 a.m. local time Monday after several crew members and a passenger, who is reportedly a member of the Canadian military, restrained the co-pilot.
The crew became concerned when the co-pilot began to act in a peculiar way and began talking to himself loudly, according to an unnamed source who spoke to the Irish newspaper the Irish Independent.
Police in Ireland are not investigating the incident, according to Pat Flynn, a reporter with the Irish Independent, who spoke to CTV's Canada AM from Ennis, Ireland.
Flynn said there was no apparent incident aboard the flight that led to the co-pilot becoming ill.
The co-pilot was assessed and brought to the psychiatric ward of a local hospital while nearly 150 passengers on board the flight were flown to Heathrow Airport in London, Flynn said.
Air Canada released a written statement Monday night saying passenger safety was never at risk.
"The captain and crew of AC 848 followed standard operating procedures in light of the co-pilot falling ill," the statement said. "The captain elected to divert to Shannon and landed without incident. At no time was safety compromised."
Capt. Georges Plourde, a former Air Canada pilot, told Canada AM the airline has a "failsafe policy" that allows one pilot to fly the aircraft in the event that the other becomes ill or unable to continue.
He said he agreed with the captain's decision to touch down earlier than planned in order to get medical attention for the co-pilot, even though it inconvenienced the passengers.
"So he did the right think, I believe, and the aircract...was never in any jeopardy and the flight was handled professionally and I commend the captain for that."
