The aircraft was less than an hour from London when the first officer began “acting in a peculiar manner and talking loudly to himself”, according to one source.
Sean Finucane, a passenger on the flight, said the co-pilot “just wanted to talk to God”, adding: “He was yelling loudly but didn’t sound intoxicated.
“When they tried to put his shoes on later, he swore and threatened people. He was very, very distressed.”
The 149 passengers were taken to nearby hotels as the airline arranged for a replacement crew to be flown to Shannon to take the aircraft on to Heathrow, where it landed at 4.15pm on Monday, eight hours behind schedule.
Airport spokesman Eugene Pratt said the pilot requested a “medical diversion” but did not declare an official emergency.
Wait a minute — he had his SHOES off? Isn’t that what Muzzies do when they pray?
These details are not in the news, but that’s not unusual. But it is a variable worth knowing, and it has not been spoken one way or the other. And until I KNOW, I won’t know.
Frankly, if he is a Canadian, there is a good chance he IS. And a good chance that the Brits will not mention it until months later.