May 25, 2013
An Alaska Airlines jetliner bound for Seattle has made an emergency landing in Portland, Ore., after the pilot lost consciousness.
An airline spokesman says the co-pilot landed Flight 473 safely last night after declaring an emergency to get priority care for the pilot.
The spokesman says the pilot lost consciousness "somewhere over Oregon." He later regained consciousness and left the cockpit. A doctor on board tended to him in the cabin. The pilot has been taken to a hospital but there's no immediate word on his condition.
The Boeing 737-700 with 116 passengers and five crew members left Los Angeles about 6:30 p.m. PST and touched down in Portland at about 9 p.m.
The airline says the pilot has been flying for Alaska for 28 years and was current on his six-month medical evaluation.
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