Air Canada flight diverted after co-pilot falls ill

An Air Canada flight from Toronto was diverted and landed in Ireland Monday after a co-pilot became ill in the cockpit, the airline has confirmed.

Flight 848 landed in Shannon, Ireland at 8 a.m. local time Monday after several crew members and a passenger, who is reportedly a member of the Canadian military, restrained the co-pilot.

The crew became concerned when the co-pilot began to act in a peculiar way and began talking to himself loudly, according to an unnamed source who spoke to the Irish Independent newspaper.

Police in Ireland are not investigating the incident, according to Pat Flynn, a reporter with the Irish Independent, who spoke to CTV's Canada AM from Ennis, Ireland.

Flynn said there was no apparent incident aboard the flight that led to the co-pilot becoming ill.

The co-pilot was assessed and brought to the psychiatric ward of a local hospital while nearly 150 passengers on board the flight were flown to Heathrow Airport in London, Flynn said.

However, a hospital official who spoke to The Canadian Press would not confirm any details about the co-pilot's illness.

"Unfortunately we're not at liberty to give out that information, under patient confidentiality,'' said the official.

Air Canada released a written statement Monday night saying passenger safety was never at risk.

"The captain and crew of AC 848 followed standard operating procedures in light of the co-pilot falling ill," the statement said. "The captain elected to divert to Shannon and landed without incident. At no time was safety compromised."

But Air Canada would not confirm a report in the Irish Independent newspaper that the co-pilot suffered a nervous breakdown or that he is undergoing psychiatric care.

A spokesperson for Air Canada told CP the airline does not offer comment on personnel issues.

Shannon Airport officials said they were notified that they should be expecting a diversion.

"It wasn't an emergency landing. It was a normal landing. In other words we didn't have the fire engines out. That wasn't requested,'' Eugene Pratt, spokesman for the Shannon Airport, told the Canadian Press in an interview.

"There was a medical representative there. The cause of the diversion... was notified as being a crew member unwell,'' said Pratt.

Capt. Georges Plourde, a former Air Canada pilot, told Canada AM the airline has a "failsafe policy" that allows one pilot to fly the aircraft in the event that the other becomes ill or unable to continue.

Plourdes commended the captain for his decision to touch down earlier than planned in order to get medical attention for the co-pilot even though it inconvenienced the passengers.

"So he did the right thing, I believe, and the aircraft...was never in any jeopardy and the flight was handled professionally and I commend the captain for that."

Transport Canada officials told CP they would be interviewing the flight crew.