Originally Posted by
clubord
If I was in that situation I would also ask if there were any pilots on board. Mainly to assist with the non-flying pilot duties; checklist reading, basic ATC communications, etc. I wouldn't let them touch the controls but having an extra set of eyes up there certainly wouldn't hurt. It would definitely ease up the workload while the flying pilot handles the additional responsibilities.
I agree. Having an extra set of hands/eyes/ears would be invaluable if you were diverting to an unfamiliar airport at night. This is above and beyond the personal stress that she must have been dealing with watching her colleague have a heart attack in the seat next to her.
This pilot did the right thing for every soul on board that aircraft. ^