Qantas flight makes priority landing after pilot experienced chest pain

A Qantas plane has made a priority landing at Sydney airport after the pilot reported experiencing chest pains mid-flight.

A Qantas pilot has called for the defibrillators midair as he experienced chest pains flying into Sydney on Monday morning.

The co-pilot took over the controls, requested an expedited landing and made a “possible assistance needed” declaration to air traffic control, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

The pilot asked for the defibrillators but ultimately they were not used.

The pilot suffering chest pains taxied the plane to the gate after touchdown in Sydney, and was rushed to hospital.

The flight started as a regulation early morning trip. Picture: FlightRadar24

But the co-pilot had to fly a holding pattern north of Sydney as crew members helped the pilot assess his own medical condition. Picture: FlightRadar24

“One of our pilots experienced chest pains during a flight from Brisbane to Sydney on Monday,” a Qantas spokesperson told NewsWire.

“The other pilot was operating the aircraft at the time and landed the aircraft into Sydney as normal.

“The pilot was treated by paramedics at the gate and transferred to hospital.”

Flight tracking shows QF505 from Brisbane went into a holding pattern north of Sydney, doing two loops inland of Newcastle before heading on to land.

The plane departed Brisbane just after 6.20am with 127 passengers and six crew on-board.

The pilot felt chest pains several hundred kilometres north of Sydney and that’s when the plane was put into the holding pattern.

After the holding pattern, the pilot called for a crew member to bring the defibrillators.

While the pilot was being seen to, the first officer was at the helm. The first officer told air traffic control about the medical emergency and requested an expedited landing.

A “possible assistance needed” declaration was also made by the first officer, who then landed the plane.

The captain taxied the plane to the gate as the plane cannot be taxied from the first officer’s seat. He was then rushed to hospital.

The Air Transport Safety Bureau is learning what it can about the episode.

Flights to and from Brisbane had only just resumed on Sunday morning after Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

The cyclone put a halt to all flights in and out of Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Byron Bay for almost 48 hours.

Originally published as Qantas flight makes priority landing after pilot experienced chest pain