Continental Flight 61, which originated in Brussels, Belgium, landed at Liberty Airport in Newark, New Jersey at 11:49 a.m. Thursday, June 18 with two first officers at the controls after the captain died in the cockpit.
According to FFA spokeswoman Arlene Salac, the 60 year old Continental pilot, Craig Lenell, had flown for the airlines for 32 years. The Boeing 777 airliner carried 247 passengers.
A statement issued by Continental, and read by airline spokeswoman Julie King read: “The company has been in touch with his family and we extend our deepest sympathies.”
According to passengers who were on the overseas flight, they were not made aware of the situation other than to hear the call for a doctor. That call was answered by Dr. Julien Struyzen, who went to the cockpit and pronounced the pilot dead. He later told reporters, “He was clinically dead when I came in.”
Dr. Struyzen, a cardiologist, used a defibrillator in a failed attempt to revive the stricken man but later told the crew that there was nothing more that could be done for the pilot. His body was removed from the cockpit and placed in the crew rest area during the remainder of the flight.
Captain Lenell’s body has been turned over to the Newark Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy to determine cause of death, which is said to be due to natural causes.
Because it was an international flight, there was a relief crew onboard, in addition to the crew that was in the cockpit at the time of the captain’s death.
View another photo below.