Continental Flight 61, whose pilot died Thursday while flying from Brussels, Belgium, to Newark, New Jersey, has landed safely, the Federal Aviation Administration and Continental Airlines said.
The Boeing 777 landed at Newark International Airport at 11:49 a.m. ET Thursday, the airline said, after the 60-year-old Newark-based pilot died “apparently of natural causes.” The airline said the crew on the flight included an additional relief pilot who took the place of the deceased man, and “the flight continued safely with two pilots at the controls.” Asked whether the plane’s 247 passengers had been told of the situation, a Continental spokesman said only that the plane had arrived safely. Passengers told CNN that they were not told, and only that an announcement for a doctor was made during the flight. Steve Coleman, a spokesman for the New York and New Jersey Port Authority, said the FAA told Newark airport officials to have emergency crews standing by for the landing. Watch emergency vehicles respond ยป The plane landed without any problem, he said, and a medical examiner met the plane to help handle the situation. The pilot had 32 years of service with Continental, the airline said.
