British holiday jet in emergency landing after co-pilot dies at the controls

The co-pilot of a holiday jet carrying more than 150 passengers collapsed and died as it was flying at 32,000 feet.

First Officer Michael Warren, 43, is thought to have had a heart attack in the cockpit of the GB Airways flight from Manchester to Paphos, Cyprus.

As colleagues fought to save him, the captain diverted to Istanbul Airport for emergency medical treatment. But Mr Warren was pronounced dead on arrival.

Mr Warren, who was an RAF Tornado fighter squadron leader in the first Gulf War, had two children - one of whom had his fifth birthday yesterday.

The airline, which has a franchise to fly British Airways jets, said the flight had never been in any danger.

Mr Warren had been in the co-pilot's seat of BA6826, which took off at 2.20pm on Sunday from Manchester with 156 passengers and six crew on board.

Towards the end of the flight, while the captain was at the controls, Mr Warren fell ill.

The purser gave him first aid as the captain headed for Istanbul.

The Airbus A320 arrived shortly before 8pm local time, by which time Mr Warren had died.

Passengers were put up at hotels before a replacement crew flew the plane to Paphos yesterday.

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They had not been told of the frantic efforts to save the co-pilot and were informed only that there was a medical emergency as paramedics boarded the plane.

Mr Warren had joined GB Airways, based at Gatwick but in the process of being taken over by EasyJet, in August 2005 as part of its small operation at Manchester Airport.

After flying Tornadoes in Iraq, he had become a flying instructor before becoming a commercial pilot.

He lived in Ormskirk, Lancashire, with his wife, Lisa, and their seven-year-old daughter and five-year-old son.

A spokesman for the airline said: "At no time were the aircraft, passengers or crew in any danger.

"All our thoughts and condolences are with Michael's wife and family."

Tributes flooded in to internet chatrooms used by pilots yesterday.

One Gulf War veteran who flew with Mr Warren wrote: "A better pilot I could not have wished for."

Another said his death was "a sad loss", while a third described him as "a complete gent", adding: "He always had time for everyone and I'm shocked he went so soon."

Mr Warren's death is the latest in a series of cockpit incidents.

In January last year, the pilot of a Continental Airlines flight from Houston, Texas, to Mexico died while at the controls. His co-pilot landed the plane safely.

Last month, the co-pilot of an Air Canada jet bound for London Heathrow had to be dragged from the cockpit after having a breakdown and demanding to "speak to God".

The flight was diverted to Shannon Airport in Ireland and the co-pilot was placed in a psychiatric unit.

Commercial pilots have physical and psychological health checks every six months.