Deadheading Captain Steps In to Assist Incapacitated Officer on Air Canada Flight

In a recent incident that occurred on June 7, 2023, during Air Canada Flight AC692 between Toronto and St. John’s, Canada, the flight crew faced a challenge when the first officer became incapacitated mid-flight. However, the situation was promptly handled as a deadheading captain on board took charge to assist the crew.

The Air Canada Airbus A220-300 was en route from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to St. John’s International Airport (YYT) when the incident unfolded. According to a spokesperson from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), the first officer’s incapacitation occurred during the flight, prompting the deadheading captain to assume their duties skillfully.

Thanks to the swift response and expertise of the deadheading captain, the aircraft was safely landed without any further issues. Emergency Medical Services were ready to assist upon the aircraft’s arrival at the gate.

Notably, the crew did not signal a general emergency (squawk 7700) during the incident. The flight landed at St. John’s International Airport (YYT) after a total flight time of two hours and 47 minutes.

For those unfamiliar, a deadheading pilot is an airline crew member who is being repositioned to operate a flight from another airport and start their duty for the day.

Regarding the incident classification, the TSB spokesperson explained that it falls under class 5 occurrences, which do not require extensive investigations and reports. Instead, data from such incidents is recorded for potential future safety analysis, statistical reporting, and archival purposes.

After the incident was successfully resolved, the Air Canada Airbus A220-300 (registration C-GJXY) took off from St. John’s International Airport (YYT) and continued its journey back to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) three hours later.