What is the recommended action if a crew member experiences sudden incapacitation?

• A. Continue flying to the next designated airport
• B. Notify ATC only
• C. Provide immediate assistance, divert to the nearest safe landing, call for medical support, and follow emergency procedures
• D. Wait for a medical professional to arrive on scene

Answer: (C)

Sudden incapacitation demands an immediate, coordinated safety response. The priority is to keep the aircraft under control, protect everyone on board, and get proper medical help as quickly as possible. The best approach is to provide immediate assistance to the incapacitated crew member, divert to the nearest safe landing, call for medical support, and follow the established emergency procedures.

Start by stabilizing the situation: another crew member should step in to handle critical tasks, provide any basic life support if trained, and make the cockpit secure while maintaining situational awareness. Diverting to the nearest suitable airport reduces time to professional care and minimizes risk to passengers and crew, while coordinating with ATC and declaring an emergency ensures ground support and medical teams are alerted and ready. Following the emergency procedures guarantees a standardized, stepwise response—checkinglists, communications, and actions designed for these exact scenarios.

Continuing to the next airport or waiting for a medical professional to arrive on scene wouldn’t address the immediacy of the safety risk, and signaling ATC alone or waiting for outside help without executing onboard emergency steps would leave the flight unprepared to handle the incapacitation effectively.