A passenger aboard an Air Canada regional flight described scenes of terror after the pilot suffered a medical emergency mid-air, forcing an emergency diversion to Boston. Rodney MacDonald, traveling with his family from Newark to Halifax on June 25, 2026, said the pilot's sudden incapacitation and violent episode left passengers praying for their safety.
Pilot incapacitated mid-flight
MacDonald told the Toronto Sun he knew something was wrong when the De Havilland Q400 prop plane swerved abruptly. “I could tell it wasn’t mechanical or weather related,” he said. “I thought, ‘Oh, oh.’”
Minutes later, a call from the cockpit summoned flight attendants. “A flight attendant was dragging the pilot out of the cockpit,” MacDonald recalled. The pilot, identified as Craig, appeared unresponsive. “His face was green. He looked like he was dead. He wasn’t breathing.”
Violent struggle in the cabin
Suddenly, the pilot lurched up and became violent. “He was waving his arms and flailing around and kicking. It was scary,” MacDonald said. Two male flight attendants joined the female attendant to restrain him. MacDonald also helped subdue the pilot. “The man was very strong. He was yelling incoherently,” he added.
The crew bound the pilot with seatbelts across his arms and chest. “I had his sweat and blood all over me. We told him to trust us,” MacDonald said. The co-pilot took control and diverted to Boston Logan International Airport for an emergency landing.
Passengers in fear
MacDonald said the 20-minute ordeal felt like the longest of his life. “It was like a horror movie.” His 14-year-old son Paul was praying, while 11-year-old Ross turned up his video game. His wife Sarah texted their daughter Isabelle to say they loved her.
First responders removed the pilot on a stretcher. “At that point, he seemed to come back a bit and was apologizing,” MacDonald said. The family boarded the same plane three hours later and continued to Halifax for a vacation, with plans to travel to Rome, Italy.
