Air Canada Pilot loses his mind mid-flight

By Stone Martindale Jan 31, 2008, 18:34 GMT

The co-pilot of a Heathrow-bound Air Canada plane had to be "dragged screaming from his cockpit after apparently suffering a mental breakdown in mid-air." according to This is London.

Scared passengers on the flight from Canada saw the man being pinned down by fellow crew members as he screamed and hollered demanding to "speak to God".

An emergency landing at the Republic of Ireland's Shannon Airport soon followed as the pilot sat shackled.

Passengers reportedly watched as he was removed from the plane with his feet still bound and talking to himself.

The pilot was remanded to a psych ward, where his wife is reported to be by his side.

The incident occurred just an hour from landing at Heathrow and the captain had to take solo command of the controls.

One of the passengers on Flight AC848 from Toronto to Heathrow, Sean Finucane, said the co-pilot was taken into the cabin in restraints in front of business-class passengers 15 minutes before the aircraft began its descent.

He told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation: "He was very, very distraught. He was yelling loudly.

"His voice was clear so he didn't sound drunk or anything. He was swearing and asking for God and very distressed. He basically said he wanted to talk to God.

"When they tried to put his shoes on later, he swore and threatened people. He was very, very distressed."

The stranded passengers had to wait about seven hours before another flight crew arrived from Heathrow to fly them to London on the same plane.

Captain Andy Wilson, president of the Air Canada Pilots Association said: "Although the illness of flight crew is rare, pilots are fully trained for such an event."

A spokesman for regulators Transport Canada said they would interview the flight crew and airline reports This is London.