<div>In a mid-air tragedy, an American Airlines captain died during a flight from Phoenix to Boston, forcing his co-pilot to make an emergency landing in Syracuse, New York, officials said.<br /><br />Captain Michael Johnston, 57, was piloting the Airbus A320 plane with 147 passengers and five crew members when he became gravely ill and later died. The co-pilot then took control of the plane and landed the jet safely.<br /><br />Crew members "took extraordinary care of Mike, each other and our customers," American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said in a statement sent to employees.<br /><br />"We couldn't be more proud of the teamwork this crew showed during an extremely difficult time."<br /><br />American Flight 550 left Phoenix at 11:55 pm local time on Sunday and was diverted mid-flight, landing shortly after 7 am, American spokeswoman Andrea Huguely said.<br />An autopsy and preliminary toxicology tests "showed that the death was the result of natural diseases," the Onondaga County, New York, medical examiner's office said -- without offering specifics.<br /><br />Johnston's wife had a double bypass surgery in 2006. She said she was told he likely died of a heart attack, CNN reported.<br /><br />"Medical emergency, captain is incapacitated," someone in the cockpit told an air traffic controller, according to audio posted to LiveATC.net. "Request handling for runway."<br /><br />According to passenger Julia House, passengers waited for the body to be removed. They made it to Boston after noon, nearly five hours after their scheduled time.<br />Passengers expressed sadness about what happened and gratitude they arrived safely.<br /><br />"If it wasn't for the copilot using a cool head," passenger Peter McSwiggin said, "it might have been more disastrous."<br /><br />Aviation experts said there was never any danger to passengers because pilots and co-pilots are equally capable of flying.<br /><br />Captains and co-pilots usually take turns flying and doing takeoffs and landings, said former airline pilot James Record, who teaches aviation at Dowling College in New York was quoted as saying.<br /><br />The US Federal Aviation Administration said seven pilots for US airlines and one charter pilot had died during flights since 1994.<br /></div>
<div>In a mid-air tragedy, an American Airlines captain died during a flight from Phoenix to Boston, forcing his co-pilot to make an emergency landing in Syracuse, New York, officials said.<br /><br />Captain Michael Johnston, 57, was piloting the Airbus A320 plane with 147 passengers and five crew members when he became gravely ill and later died. The co-pilot then took control of the plane and landed the jet safely.<br /><br />Crew members "took extraordinary care of Mike, each other and our customers," American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said in a statement sent to employees.<br /><br />"We couldn't be more proud of the teamwork this crew showed during an extremely difficult time."<br /><br />American Flight 550 left Phoenix at 11:55 pm local time on Sunday and was diverted mid-flight, landing shortly after 7 am, American spokeswoman Andrea Huguely said.<br />An autopsy and preliminary toxicology tests "showed that the death was the result of natural diseases," the Onondaga County, New York, medical examiner's office said -- without offering specifics.<br /><br />Johnston's wife had a double bypass surgery in 2006. She said she was told he likely died of a heart attack, CNN reported.<br /><br />"Medical emergency, captain is incapacitated," someone in the cockpit told an air traffic controller, according to audio posted to LiveATC.net. "Request handling for runway."<br /><br />According to passenger Julia House, passengers waited for the body to be removed. They made it to Boston after noon, nearly five hours after their scheduled time.<br />Passengers expressed sadness about what happened and gratitude they arrived safely.<br /><br />"If it wasn't for the copilot using a cool head," passenger Peter McSwiggin said, "it might have been more disastrous."<br /><br />Aviation experts said there was never any danger to passengers because pilots and co-pilots are equally capable of flying.<br /><br />Captains and co-pilots usually take turns flying and doing takeoffs and landings, said former airline pilot James Record, who teaches aviation at Dowling College in New York was quoted as saying.<br /><br />The US Federal Aviation Administration said seven pilots for US airlines and one charter pilot had died during flights since 1994.<br /></div>