American Airlines pilot reportedly dies mid-flight with 147 passengers on board

A red-eye American Airlines flight from Phoenix to Boston was diverted Monday morning after the pilot flying the plane became ill mid-flight and died, CBS reports. A spokesperson for the airline did not specify if the pilot died during the flight, although the co-pilot landed the plane alone and can be heard posting a call to air traffic control, describing a "medical emergency" in which the pilot was "incapacitated."

US Airways Flight 550 had 147 passengers on board; the co-pilot landed the plane safely in Syracuse, New York, where a replacement crew took over the flight and flew the rest of the way to Boston. "This is a terribly sad event and American Airlines is focused on caring for the pilot's family at this time," the airline's spokesperson said.

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