'I can wing it!' Passenger steps in to land 747 after co-pilot falls ill... lucky he happeneds to be off-duty pilot himself

Co-pilot struck down with migraine on flight from Newark to Frankfurt

Passenger reveals he is fully qualified to help captain land Lufthansa jet

Captain traveling on the plane 'works for North American Airlines'



Plane diverts to Dublin Airport, where accident investigation is under way



When someone falls ill in a public place, the wishful cry of help would traditionally be 'Is there a doctor in the house?!'

But when the co-pilot of a Boeing 747 was struck down with a severe migraine mid-air on Monday, the crew held out no hope there might be a 'pilot on the plane'.

Fortunately, their prayers were answered as one of the passengers, who works for North American Airlines, got up to reveal he was fully qualified to fly a jumbo jet.

Pr-airs answered: An off-duty pilot stepped in to help land a Lufthansa 747 being diverted to Dublin Airport after a co-pilot fell ill with a severe migraine (file picture)

Calm and controlled: The officer had been travelling as a passenger on the 747 when he was called on to enter the cockpit and help the captain bring the plane down safely (file picture)



With the co-pilot incapacitated, the heroic stranger stepped in to help the captain safely land the plane, with 264 passengers on board, as it was diverted to Dublin Airport.

The licensed Boeing 767 captain with North American Airlines had been traveling as a passenger on the Lufthansa 747 flying from Newark to Frankfurt on November 19.

Flight LH403 landed safely in Dublin at about 5.30am, Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) confirmed.

The co-pilot was hospitalized and the flight continued after a six-hour delay to allow a replacement crew to fly in. The plane landed in Frankfurt at 4pm local time.

Earlier reports suggested that the pilot is a German national but these have been unconfirmed today.



A Lufthansa spokeswoman said the man who stepped in was fully licensed to operate and fly the 747.

'In such circumstances it's absolutely normal procedure for the pilot, the flight captain, to continue to operate the aircraft,' she said.

Scare in the air: The jet was flying from Newark to Frankfurt when it had to divert to Dublin Airport (pictured)



'Also, where necessary, the cabin crew are fully trained and can be called upon to read checklists back to the pilot.

'The procedures are in place for such an eventuality. But the effort of the off-duty pilot were certainly appreciated.'

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has been notified of the incident and has received a briefing report. The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) of Ireland's Department of Transport has been notified and is investigating. Experts from the AAIU attended the plane after it touched down in Dublin.

'Whenever you have any sort of medical issue on board, whether it's a doctor or appropriately qualified person, that's always appreciated.

