Qatar Airways pilot dies in flight

Doha (IANS): A Qatar Airways flight en-route from the Philippines to Qatar was forced to land in Kuala Lumpur after one of the pilots died on board, the flag-carrier said in a statement.

“Qatar Airways regrets to inform that the captain of flight QR645, operating from Manila to Doha, passed away on board,” Xinhua quoted the statement as saying Wednesday.

The plane was diverted to the Malaysian capital where a new crew boarded. The flight departed Kuala Lumpur at 01.16 p.m. local time (0516 GMT) and is due to land at Doha airport later in the day, the statement added.

Qatar Airways did not disclose the name of the pilot or give details on what caused his death. Yet, Doha-based Al Jazeera said on its English site that the pilot reportedly died of a heart attack.