Joseph Izatt, 61, was a prominent professor at Duke University’s biomedical engineering department. His passenger was able to safely land the plane.
The pilot of a private plane suddenly died mid-flight.
The pilot passed out at the controls. His passenger, the only other person on board, radioed the tower.
Pilot Joseph Izatt, 61, was a prominent professor at Duke University’s biomedical engineering department. He suffered a heart attack mid-air.
The passenger took over the Cirrus Aircraft and was able to safely land the plane at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Evan Caulfield recorded video from the tarmac.
“Adrenaline, excitement, sorrow. All kinds of emotions,” Caulfield tells Inside Edition.
Medical emergencies involving pilots in midair that require someone else to land the plane are rare but they have happened before.
On a flight from the Bahamas to Florida, passenger Darren Harrison took over the controls with no flight experience after the pilot became incoherent.
Harrison was able to land the plane safely at Palm Beach International Airport.
