Flight attendant assists captain after first officer falls ill on American Airlines

Patti took her place in the right-hand seat of the cockpit and helped Captain Hunter by changing altimeter settings and managing other tasks necessary for landing. She stated, "I was thinking about survival. I was thinking about getting it down the best I could."

The presence of two individuals in the cockpit is standard procedure as it helps manage workload during critical phases like landing. American Airlines co-pilot Steven Lee emphasized this point: "We all fly these larger planes; they are all two-man cockpits... that's great because he's by himself."

Patti assisted with monitoring traffic and listening to radio communications while setting instruments and following instructions from Captain Hunter. The Boeing 767 landed safely at Chicago O'Hare International Airport at 16:24 without any announcements made to passengers regarding the change of pilots.

American Airlines commended its crew for their handling of this incident. A spokesperson remarked that "the entire incident was handled very well on all accounts." Larry Salas from a flight attendants' union praised Patti's calm demeanor: "Something like this happening is totally out of the ordinary... commend her for being calm."

Jeff Pharr from the Association of Professional Flight Attendants also expressed pride in how flight attendants can step up during emergencies: "This was an example of how our flight attendants are able to step up to the plate in an emergency."