Passengers forced to restrain pilot after 'horrifying' mid-flight medical emergency

Passengers aboard an Air Canada flight had to restrain the pilot after he suffered a ‘horrifying’ medical emergency during the flight.

The flight was traveling from Newark, New Jersey, to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Wednesday 24 June when the captain experienced a mid-flight medical episode causing the plane to swerve suddenly.

One passenger told ABC News that the pilot appeared to be having a seizure that lasted around 40 minutes.

Rodney McDonald, who was traveling with his wife and two sons, when he felt the plane lurch.

He told ABC News that a flight attendant then rushed into the cockpit and pulled one of the pilots out into the aisle.

"One of the flight attendants entered the cockpit frantically and a few moments later, he was dragging one of the pilots out of the cockpit onto the aisle way of the airplane," he said.

The Air Canada flight was diverted to another airport and landed safely (Massimo Insabato/Archivio Massimo Insabato/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)

McDonald said he and four other passengers then restrained the pilot, while the co-pilot diverted the plane to Boston.

McDonald said: “It was really horrifying. I was sitting in the front row, my family was from their back, just the way the seat arrangement worked out.

"And I went back to sit with them and then realised that the pilot was out of control physically, not violently, like it was clear that he was not in control of his faculties and needed to be restrained."

He said that he and the other passengers ‘worked to get him under control’ and that they spent around 40 minutes ‘keeping him down and using as many seatbelts as we could to restrain his legs arms and chest’.

McDonald said a registered nurse was on board the flight and was able to help out during the medical emergency.

The pilot was taken to hospital (WCBV)

He also praised the flight attendants for staying calm throughout the incident.

The airline told the outlet that after the plane safely landed in Boston, the pilot was taken to hospital for medical treatment.

“During the flight, the captain experienced a medical issue and was removed from the flight deck as per safety protocols. The first officer took control of the aircraft and diverted the flight to Boston, where it landed safely," Air Canada said in a statement.

The NHS warns against restraining or moving someone if you suspect they’re having a seizure, unless they’re in immediate danger.

Instead, it recommends protecting them from injury by removing any dangerous or potentially harmful objects nearby as well as cushioning their head with your hands or soft material.