Plane with dead pilot lands safely in Newark, NJ

[2NJSons_Mom]

   Thank God all others are safe.

Plane with dead pilot lands safely in Newark, NJ

 … 7 mins ago
NEWARK, N.J. – The Federal Aviation Administration says a plane carrying a pilot who died in mid-flight has landed safely at the airport in Newark, N.J.

Spokeswoman Arlene Salac says Continental Airlines Flight 61 landed at 11:49 a.m.

Airline spokeswoman Kelly Cripe says the pilot died of natural causes Thursday on the flight from Brussels, Belgium, to Newark.

Cripe says he was a 61-year-old man with more than 20 years of service to the airline.

She says the flight continued safely with two other pilots at the controls.

Cripe says the Boeing 777 carried 247 passengers.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090618/ap_on_re_us/us_pilot_dies

[MuffyBee]

http://www.keyetv.com/content/news/topnews/story/Doctor-Heart-attack-probably-killed-Continental/kUTou7MVQUyGbq
Doctor: Heart attack probably killed Continental Airlines pilot during flight
Last Update: 6/18 1:13 pm
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- A cardiologist who examined a dead pilot aboard a trans-Atlantic flight to New Jersey suspects a heart attack killed the Continental Airlines pilot.

Houston-based Continental Flight 61 was flying to Newark today when the 60-year-old pilot died. A relief pilot took over and landed the plane safely. The Boeing jet was carrying nearly 250 passengers.

Dr. Julien Struyven (STRY'-ven) was flying from Brussels, Belgium, and responded to the cabin announcement asking for doctors.

Struyven says the pilot was already dead and there was "no chance at all" of saving him.

He used a defibrillator to try to revive the pilot.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kbtx.com/national/headlines/48617087.html

Pilot Who Died During Transatlantic Flight Was In Perfect Health, Wife Says    
Reporter: Associated Press
The widow of a Continental Airlines pilot who died Thursday on a trans-Atlantic Brussels to Newark, N.J., flight says her late husband was "in perfect health."

Lynda Lenell told KHOU-TV in Houston that fellow crewmembers of her 60-year-old husband, Craig Lenell, first thought he'd fallen asleep.

She says her husband had no known heart condition and underwent standard physicals twice a year.

Craig Lenell died of a suspected heart attack midway through yesterday's flight.

Two co-pilots landed the plane.

The passengers didn’t know anything was wrong until after the plane landed.

[califmom]

The thought that this man was in perfect health and had two physicals every year scares the heck out of me.  Wow!!

I guess there are many "good" things that came out of this tragedy...

He died peacefully and painlessly (sp?)

He died doing what he loved to do

He did not die alone

Co-pilots really do know how to fly and land a plane (that was a little note of sarcasm... some of the media made it sound like it was a miracle that they could actually land the plane... good grief, they wouldn't be in the cock-pit if they didn't know how to fly/land a plane... not trying to make light of a sad situation, but jeez).

[MuffyBee]

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/gen/ap/TX_Pilot_Dies_Funeral.html
Services Tuesday for Continental pilot

HOUSTON — Services are planned Tuesday for a Continental Airlines pilot who died during a flight from Brussels to Newark, N.J.

Capt. Craig Lenell Sr. of Houston was 60.

Lenell died Thursday of a suspected heart attack midway through Continental Airlines Flight 61. Two co-pilots took over the controls and safely landed the jet in Newark.

An obituary says Lenell's funeral was planned Tuesday morning at The Woodlands, with graveside services to follow in Flynn.

Continental is based in Houston.