A captain's apparent midair seizure forced five strangers to pin him down with seatbelts for a grueling 40 minutes, while the first officer flew the De Havilland Q400 to Boston alone. The harrowing incident highlights the high-stakes pressure placed on single pilots when a dual-crew system suddenly loses its captain.
Air Canada Flight AC7664, operated by regional partner PAL Airlines, was carrying 61 passengers from Newark Liberty International Airport to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 24 June when the captain became incapacitated and was dragged out of the flight deck by a flight attendant, according to passenger accounts and an Air Canada statement.
