Qantas Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Pilot Experiences Chest Pains
A Qantas flight traveling from Brisbane to Sydney on March 10 had to make an urgent landing after the captain experienced chest pains mid-flight.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the pilot requested a priority landing while the plane, carrying 127 passengers and six crew members, was several hundred kilometers north of Sydney. Reports indicate that the captain asked the flight’s customer service manager to use a defibrillator, but while the pads were applied, the equipment was ultimately not used.
The first officer, who was piloting the aircraft at the time, alerted air traffic controllers and requested an expedited landing for the Boeing 737-800. A “medical PAN” was declared, meaning “possible assistance needed.”
Flight tracking data showed that the aircraft completed two loops inland of Newcastle before landing in Sydney at 9:01 a.m., 21 minutes behind schedule. Despite the medical emergency, the captain managed to taxi the plane to the terminal gate, where paramedics were waiting. He was then transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
A Qantas spokesperson confirmed the incident, stating, “One of our pilots experienced chest pains during a flight from Brisbane to Sydney on Monday. The other pilot was operating the aircraft at the time and landed the aircraft into Sydney as normal.”
The airline has not provided further updates on the captain’s condition.