Delta Captain Falls Ill, Diverts Flight to Detroit
A Delta Air Lines Boeing 757-200 operating from Los Angeles International Airport to Boston Logan International Airport on August 25 diverted to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport after its captain became ill.
The crew declared a medical emergency and diverted the aircraft, N707TW, which was built in 1997, when it was cruising at 39,000 ft about 120 nautical miles (222 km) west of Detroit.
According to air traffic control recordings, the captain continued communicating with controllers despite being the crew member requiring medical attention. 'This is the captain. I'm the one that's ill,' he told the tower. 'I'm gonna taxi the jet to the gate, and then I need to go to the hospital.'
The 757 landed on Runway 22L about 21 minutes after leaving its cruise altitude and was directed toward a taxiway that provided a shorter route to its gate.