A WestJet pilot was helped out of the flight deck and worked on by a doctor and two nurses who were passengers on their way to Atlanta from Calgary last week. The aircraft took off about noon last Monday and turned around almost immediately after the pilot became ill. When the pilot was brought out of the flight deck a deadheading pilot went up front to help out. Passenger John White told the Calgary Herald he saw agitated flight attendants carrying a first aid kit and a defibrillator to the flight deck just after takeoff.
“Then they made the call for if there is a doctor, nurse or EMT on the plane and as luck would have it, one doctor came forward and two nurses,” White said. “They were able to get him talking again after they got him on the floor, but they were working on him pretty feverishly.” The airline didn’t offer any more details citing privacy concerns. The airline put passengers on other flights to Atlanta but some had to wait until the next day.