Airline Pilot Dies During Flight

ScottM

ScottM

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iBazinga!
A friend of mine, who happens to fly for Continental, says this happens 5 or 6 times a year in the US.
 
"The airline said only that the pilot suffered a "serious medical problem." Continental believes the pilot died of natural causes". Uh, which is it? Or is every serious medical problem naturally caused?

5-6 times a year? That's very difficult to believe.
 
Re: Pilot Dies In-Flight; Co-Pilot Lands Jet

was diverted to McAllen-Miller International Airport
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And WHERE is that? Three W's, TV station "journalists."

Sad story. It has happened before.

One result is keeps the heat on pilot medical and the age 60 rule, even though that probably has little to do with it.
 
JohnR said:
"The airline said only that the pilot suffered a "serious medical problem." Continental believes the pilot died of natural causes". Uh, which is it? Or is every serious medical problem naturally caused?

5-6 times a year? That's very difficult to believe.
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Just had brunch with a United Captain says it happens more than that actually.
 
Ron Levy said:
Saying that death is "a serious medical problem" seems rather an understatement.
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In medicine, death by natural causes is a loosely-defined term used by coroners describing death when the cause of death was a naturally occurring disease process, or is not apparent given medical history or circumstances. Thus, deaths caused by active human intervention (as opposed to the failure of medical intervention to prevent death) are excluded from this definition, and are described as unnatural deaths.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_causes
 
JohnR said:
"The airline said only that the pilot suffered a "serious medical problem." Continental believes the pilot died of natural causes". Uh, which is it? Or is every serious medical problem naturally caused?

5-6 times a year? That's very difficult to believe.
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Well it happened enough that there is a rather irreverent joke associated with the occurrence.

Based on the prevalent use of CRM and the nature of the joke I'd bet it is a pretty old joke.

Len
 
I just googled "pilot dies in flight" and it came back with several hits with stories of airline crew members that died suddenly during a flight in the last 7 or 8 years.

I'd only heard of one or 2 and those were private pilots in flights having heart attacks.
 
I'm confused. Is the 5-6 number crew, or anyone onboard the plane? I believe the later. I think a pilot dying on a flight would be news, but a pax would not.
 
jkaduk said:
I'm confused. Is the 5-6 number crew, or anyone onboard the plane? I believe the later. I think a pilot dying on a flight would be news, but a pax would not.
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Good Samaritan hospital in Phoenix has the contract to provide base hospital contact over the radio to several airlines in the US and worldwide for emergencies while airborne, and that is where I did my recurrent medic clinical rotation when I lived in AZ. The control center is right off the emergency room. Lots of stories. Trust me, a lot more than 6-7 passengers expire in the air every year.
 
AuntPeggy said:
In medicine, death by natural causes is a loosely-defined term used by coroners describing death when the cause of death was a naturally occurring disease process, or is not apparent given medical history or circumstances. Thus, deaths caused by active human intervention (as opposed to the failure of medical intervention to prevent death) are excluded from this definition, and are described as unnatural deaths.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_causes
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Ok, when was the last time someone died of natural causes?? Seems like everyone dies from something specific these days. :)
 
I'd just like to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you.
 
A friend I know a few years ago went to pick her mom up at the airport. Well mom never got off of the plane. She died in flight. It was very sad. But the airlines actually deal with this pretty well. Her mom was taken off and removed to a private area where the coroner picked here up. My friend was escorted to an area where special services spoke with her and they had a minister there as well. She was given private time and alone time. The airline even offered to have here driven home or wherever she wanted to go.
 
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