New York - Passengers traveling on a plane from Brussels, Belgium to New Jersey are lucky to be alive after their pilot had a heart attack and died mid flight.

Continental Airlines Flight 61 was carrying more than 250 passengers, and lucky for them, there was a relief pilot onboard to take over when things went wrong.

Dr. Julien Struyven responded to an inflight request for a doctor, and says he tried to to save the pilot by using a defibrillator but to no use.

The relief pilot took over and managed to land the plane safely.

Dead is the 60 year old pilot who had been flying with the carrier for more than 30 years.