Off-duty pilot helps to land jet

An off-duty pilot helped in the emergency landing of a jumbo jet at Dublin Airport after a co-pilot become ill.

The Boeing 747-400, carrying 264 passengers, was flying over the Atlantic when the pilot was taken ill and the captain had to divert for an emergency landing at Dublin Airport.

The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) has launched an inquiry. It described the incident as “serious” and said “safety margins are reduced” when one of the two pilots are incapacitated.