SYDNEY, Australia -- The pilot of a twin-engine commuter airliner collapsed at the controls Sunday but was revived in time to safely land the craft, the Transport Department reported.
Officials said pilot Peter Bell collapsed about 30 minutes after his Beechcraft King Air 200 plane left Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea on a flight to Sydney, 435 miles to the southwest, with two passengers, Lance Stirton and Ronald Squires.
Authorities said the plane was flying at 27,000 feet when Bell went into convulsions and collapsed unconscious over the controls. The pilot is believed to have suffered from food poisoning and was unconscious for 40 minutes, officials said.
'The plane was on automatic pilot at the time because we were flying in good weather,' said Squires, 34. 'I remember thinking, 'Thank God for that.''
Squires said Stirton, a police inspector, came to the cockpit and began giving Bell mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while he called on the plane's radio for help.
Pilots of another Advance Airlines commuter plane and a Qantas jet nearby began describing the aircraft's operations to Squires in case he had to try to land it.
'About 30 minutes out of Sydney, Inspector Stirton managed to revive Capt. Bell, who finally brought the plane down safely,' Squires said.
