Envoy Air pilot who was reported incapacitated mid-flight passes away

An Envoy Air pilot who was reported as incapacitated shortly after takeoff on November 19, 2022, has passed away.

Envoy Air MQ 3556 had departed from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) en route to John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) in Ohio, before turning the aircraft, an Embraer E175, back to land in ORD.

The dialogue between the flight’s co-pilot, and air traffic control in ORD can be heard in a YouTube clip uploaded by VASAviation

“Envoy 3556, need to return. Captain is incapacitated,” the co-pilot can be heard saying.

The ATC can be heard guiding the co-pilot until he was able to make a safe landing.

“He’s knocked out. We’re gonna need paramedics. Working on everything right now,” the co-pilot further said about the unfolding situation.

Envoy Air’s vice president of flight operations Ric Wilson issued a statement about the death of the incapacitated pilot, Patrick Ford, who was a captain in training.

Wilson also expressed thanks to the flight’s line check airman, Brandon Hendrickson, for his “leadership and professionalism.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently investigating the case.

Envoy Air is a regional airline and a subsidiary of American Airlines (A1G) (AAL). It is headquartered in Irving, Texas.