Air Canada Express Flight Diverts After Captain Medical Emergency

An Air Canada Express service from Newark Liberty International Airport to Halifax Stanfield International Airport diverted to Boston Logan International Airport on June 24, 2026, after the captain experienced a medical emergency. ## Sequence of Events The flight, operating as AC7664 on behalf of Air Canada, departed Newark and was en route when the captain became incapacitated. The first officer took over aircraft control and elected to divert to Boston Logan International Airport. The De Havilland Dash 8-400 touched down without further incident after air traffic control received notification of the crew medical situation. Passenger accounts indicated the aircraft moved abruptly in a manner distinct from normal turbulence. One traveler, Rodney McDonald, described the moment the plane swerved and noted that the captain appeared to be experiencing seizure-like symptoms. Passengers and crew members assisted in removing the captain from the flight deck and restraining him in the cabin. A registered nurse among the passengers provided additional support during the onboard portion of the event, which lasted around 40 minutes according to witness descriptions. ## Emergency Response on Arrival Massachusetts State Police reported that emergency crews were alerted around 13:37 local time. Upon landing, the aircraft was met by responders on the runway. The captain was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital for treatment. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the diversion resulted from the pilot medical emergency. The De Havilland Dash 8-400, registered C-GPOE, completed the diversion under first-officer command after departing Newark at 12:54 local time and reaching Boston at 13:56 local time. ## Airline Statement and Passenger Handling Air Canada stated that the captain experienced a medical issue during the flight and was removed from the flight deck according to established safety protocols. The first officer maintained control of the aircraft throughout the diversion. With 61 passengers on board, the airline arranged a replacement crew so the flight could continue to Halifax after the unscheduled stop. Tracking data showed the onward leg to Halifax experienced a delay of nearly five hours compared with the original schedule. The urgent nature of the situation meant Boston was selected as the diversion point, with air traffic control noting the aircraft might have an issue getting off the runway. A BOS spokesperson confirmed that Massport Fire Rescue and Boston EMS responded to the crew as necessary. All passengers and crew arrived safely at the diversion airport, after which the airline coordinated resources to resume the service. ## Operational Outcome The Dash 8-400 completed the diversion under first-officer command. Air Canada coordinated replacement crew resources at Boston to resume the service. All passengers reached their final destination after the extended stopover. The event occurred on a daily scheduled international passenger flight that normally operates from Newark to Halifax. Why it matters for AeroLink pilots: Regional operations such as the Newark-Halifax route rely on single-pilot redundancy when one crew member becomes unavailable, and this event illustrates how first officers execute diversions while cabin occupants assist with crew removal under real-time conditions.