New York-bound SIA flight turns back to Singapore after pilot allegedly falls ill

A Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight heading to New York from Singapore was diverted back to Changi Airport on Monday (Sept 14) when the pilot allegedly became unwell.

Flight SQ24, an Airbus A350-900 aircraft, was carrying 144 passengers and 17 crew members, the national carrier said in response to AsiaOne's queries.

Data from flight tracking website FlightRadar24 shows that the flight departed Changi Airport at about 12.24pm on Monday.

About four hours into the journey, when it was over the Philippine Sea and off Taiwan, SQ24 was tracked to be returning to Singapore.

The plane eventually landed at Changi Airport at about 9.11pm.

There was an in-flight medical emergency, said an SIA spokesperson, without disclosing further details for confidentiality reasons.

Some social media users, claiming to be passengers on the flight, shared that a captain had a "medical issue".

Reddit user zhepinkblink claimed that a doctor onboard the flight was requested to attend to the situation. They added that the captain was disembarked by medical staff once the plane had landed safely.

Plane-spotting page Water Sound Aviation said in an Instagram post on Monday that the flight had turned back due to pilot medical emergency. It did not disclose its sources.

SIA said its customers were provided with the necessary assistance on the ground, including refreshments, while the plane was refuelled.

It subsequently took off again at 11.58pm and is scheduled to arrive at John F. Kennedy Airport at 9.38am (local time), according to the carrier.

"SIA apologises to all customers for the inconvenience caused," the spokesperson said.

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editor@asiaone.com