Comment on American Airlines pilot dies enroute to Boston

American Airlines has confirmed that a pilot died while a redeye flight was en route from Arizona to Boston Monday. Flight 550, originally scheduled to travel from Phoenix to Boston late Sunday was forced to divert to Syracuse, New York because of a pilot illness. "Unfortunately, our pilot passed away," the airline said in a statement. "We are incredibly saddened by this event, and we are focused on caring for our pilot's family and colleagues," an airline spokesperson added. The Airbus A320 was carrying 147 passengers and five crewmembers.