ORLANDO, Fla. — A Delta flight headed to Orlando was forced to make an unexpected landing Monday after one of the pilots suffered a medical emergency shortly after takeoff.
Delta Flight 1208, carrying 185 people, departed Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport shortly after noon Monday.
Not long after takeoff, the other pilot radioed the tower and reported the emergency, telling air traffic controllers the crew needed to land.
The flight crew followed proper procedures, according to Delta Airlines.
The plane landed safely, and the pilot who experienced the medical emergency was taken to a hospital after the aircraft arrived.
Delta has not released details about the pilot’s condition.
A new flight crew was brought in, and passengers eventually continued their journey to Orlando.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.
The emergency comes just days after another Delta flight was forced to divert because of a pilot medical issue.
That flight, which was traveling from Los Angeles, declared an emergency and diverted to Detroit after the captain reported a medical problem involving himself.
That aircraft also landed safely.
The two incidents happened within days of each other, but there is no indication the cases are connected.
For the passengers aboard Flight 1208, what began as a routine trip to Orlando turned into an unexpected delay before they were ultimately able to continue on to their destination.
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