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An off-duty pilot found himself in the cockpit after the plane's first officer suffered a medical emergency. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said that the incident happened on June 7 during an Air Canada flight from Toronto to St John's.
When the first officer became incapacitated near the end of the 1,300-mile flight, the pilot, who was on his way to another assignment, offered to help land the plane.
He joined the pilot in the cockpit and helped safely land the plane.
"The first officer became incapacitated during the flight. A deadheading captain assumed the crew member's duties and landed the aircraft without further incident," the TSB said in an emailed statement to Reuters. "Emergency medical services met the aircraft at the gate."
According to FlightAware, the plane was an Airbus A220. The flight was delayed in Toronto by 50 minutes and landed over an hour late. It is unclear what caused the delay.
The agency did not identify the pilot or provide any details about the condition of the co-pilot, who became ill during the flight.