We Have the Long-Awaited News About Who Will Control the Minnesota State House
60 Minutes Reporter Who Told Trump Hunter's Laptop Can't Be Verified Afraid Her...
Wait, Is Joe Biden Even Up to Sign the New Government Spending Bill?
Van Jones Has Been on a One-Man War Against the Dems
Van Jones Clears the Air About Donald Trump With a Former CNN Editor,...
Whoopi Goldberg Shares an Insane Theory About Trump, Vance, and Elon Musk
NYC Mayor Eric Adams Explains Why He Confronted Suspected UnitedHealthcare Shooter to His...
The Absurd—and Cruel—Myth of a ‘Government Shutdown’
When in Charge, Be in Charge
If You Try to Please Everybody, You’ll End Up Pleasing Nobody
University of Arizona ‘Art’ Exhibit Demands Destruction of Israel
Biden-Harris Steered Us Toward Economic Doom; Trump Will Fix It
Argentina’s Milei Seems to Have Cracked the Code on How to Cut Government...
The Founding Fathers Were Geniuses
KJP Gets Absolutely Grilled By Reporters Over Biden 'Quiet Quitting' His Duties
Tipsheet

What Happens When Your Pilot Dies in the Lavatory Mid-Flight?

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Recommended

Trending on Townhall Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement