Passenger lands single-engine plane after Duke professor piloting aircraft suffers fatal mid-air medical emergency

A Duke University professor has died following a mid-air medical crisis he suffered while piloting an airplane in North Carolina on Sunday.

A passenger in the plane was able to take control of the single-engine plane, and managed an emergency landing at Raleigh Durham International Airport, according to WRAL. It is unclear what caused Izatt’s fatal medical emergency.

Izatt was a prominent professor at Duke. Having joined the institution in 2001, he has published more than 200 papers and also chaired Duke’s Department of Biomedical Engineering. The university lowered its flags and released a statement on Izatt’s death.

“He was an exceptionally thoughtful leader who weighed every decision with a care that originated with his deep love for the BME community,” school Dean Jerome Lynch said. “The integrity and humility he brought as a school leader will be missed.”

Izatt is touted by the Duke community as a skilled researcher who focused his endeavors on incorporating non-invasive technologies into diagnosing eye conditions and deciding treatment options.

“Beyond all of the sort of technical accolades, what stands out for Joe is the community that he built,” Duke Professor Hafeez Dhalla said. “Just an incredibly tight-knit community of accomplished scientists who hold him in very high esteem.”