Passengers aboard a LATAM Airlines flight from Miami to Santiago, Chile had quite the trip earlier this week when the flight's captain fell ill and suffered a medical emergency while using the plane's lavatory mid-flight. Despite resuscitation attempts, the captain was declared deceased after the plane made an emergency landing in Panama.
Flight LA505 departed Miami around 9:45 p.m. ET on Monday according to flight tracking data from FlightAware and headed south across Cuba and the Caribbean Sea on what is normally a nearly eight-hour flight down to Chile. Roughly two hours after departing, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner initiated a steep descent from its cruising altitude of 37,000 feet down to 6,100 feet in about 15 minutes before making an emergency landing at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, Panama.
ABC News reported:
Chilean newspaper Las Últimas Noticias identified the pilot as 56-year-old Iván Andaur Sepúlveda, the captain of the plane.
During the flight, Mr Andaur began feeling unwell and went to the bathroom, the newspaper reported.
After a while, the crew realised the situation was serious and followed protocol to make an emergency landing so he could receive treatment.
LATAM Airlines said it had carried out all the necessary steps to safeguard the life of the pilot.
Despite resuscitation attempts aboard the flight and further care from first responders on the ground in Panama, the pilot did not recover and was declared deceased by authorities on the ground.
According to a statement from LATAM Airlines Group reported by Insider, "two co-pilots took control of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner" after the pilot became incapacitated and decided to divert the flight to Panama where they landed the flight safely. LATAM said the captain had been flying for 25 years.
“LATAM Group is deeply saddened by this event and takes this opportunity to express our most sincere condolences to the family of our employee...We are thankful for his 25 years of service to LATAM, distinguished by his dedication, professionalism and enthusiasm."
According to USA Today, the flight eventually continued on to Chile after passengers were put up in hotels while the situation was handled, arriving at its intended destination in Chile around 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
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