MID-AIR SCARE

Delta Pilot Suffers Medical Emergency Moments After Take-Off

Cockpit recordings reveal that the flight’s first officer suffered “numbness in the arms and legs and a racing heart rate in the high 100s.”

A Delta Air Lines flight was forced to land moments after taking off when its first officer suffered a sudden medical emergency. Shortly after departing Minneapolis en route to Orlando, Delta Flight 1208 requested and was granted “priority handling” to return to MSP on Monday. Air Traffic Control recordings published by FlightRadar24 reported there had been a “potential pilot incapacitation” onboard the 25-year-old Boeing 757. The captain said that the plane, which had 190 people onboard, “wanted to return immediately.” ATC could then be heard telling Minneapolis airport’s maintenance team that the pilot in question had suffered “numbness in the arms and legs and a racing heart rate in the high 100s.” In a statement from Delta to NBC5 Chicago, the airline wrote that there was a “medical issue involving a pilot.” Delta said that “the crew followed established procedures to return to MSP, where the aircraft landed safely.” It continued, “As safety comes first at Delta, we are focused on supporting the pilot and our customers to ensure onward travel.”