Rabat - A flight from Casablanca to Brussels almost came to a tragic end when the captain suffered a massive heart attack, forcing the co-pilot to take over, reported the daily Assabah on Saturday.
Rabat – A flight from Casablanca to Brussels almost came to a tragic end when the captain suffered a massive heart attack, forcing the co-pilot to take over, reported the daily Assabah on Saturday.
Panic-stricken, the co-pilot nearly crashed the plane on Charleroi airport’s runway but managed to make a safe landing.
The flight took off on Sunday from Mohammed V airport in Casablanca towards its destination to Charleroi airport in Brussels.
Prior to departure, the captain welcomed the passengers good heartily, and everything ran smoothly until a few minutes before the landing.
The co-pilot was initially not aware of the pilot’s heart attack, as the aircraft was in automatic pilot mode.
It was only when a small disruption took place on air and he tried to warn the captain that he realized he he had passed out.
The passengers sensed the abnormal disturbance, and some were stricken with fear. Unaware of what was going on in the cabinet, they panicked as their questions about the flight’s condition went unanswered.
The co-pilot took over the plane and touched the runway while landing, causing serious material damage, the newspaper explained.
The passengers were frightened, but they were prevented from leaving immediately before emergency workers arrived to check for injuries. They were finally evacuated without any problem, but sadly the pilot died.