N830MH

I heard the news this morning. The women age of 50s dies on US Airways flight from HNL-PHX this early morning. She was unconscious, but there is no pulse. She was passed away.

http://www.abc15.com/news/region-pho...-bound-flight-

My condolences to her existence family. May her rest in the peace forever.

DCdeacon

I know the article said her emergency happened during final approach to PHX, but it got me thinking that that's a tough flight to encounter a medical emergency on, in general. Really nowhere to divert to until you're basically at your destination, in either direction.

CPRich

This is always a risk for long flights across the oceans. It does happen on occaision, and airlines have instructions on how to deal with it. At least one airline is at least rumored to have a location to store a deceased body should it happen mid-flight. Others generally look for an empty seat/empty row in F/J and cover the body up.

N830MH

Right, nowhere to be diverted by others airports. There's no way to landed in the Pacific Oceans.

Gamecock

There are some places over land it would be scary to divert to as well.

rumandcoke

I was actually on this flight. She was 4 rows behind me in the first row between first and coach. Kind of weird...never had that happen on a flight before.

N830MH

You were on the flight? You didn't know what happened to her? I am not quite sure why she was passed away. Medical Examiner will find out why she dies. They will have investigating. They will do autopsy with her body.

Allan38103

Why would you want to divert anyway?

rumandcoke

About 45, maybe 60 minutes prior the flight attendant was called over and the woman wasn't waking up. They made an announcement for any medical personal on board. When we landed in PHX, there was a fire department crew that met us at the gate. We were asked to stay seated. After a few minutes they let us off...I didn't know she had actually died until later in the morning, but I suspected it when I saw her.

fpc552

What is really surprising is with the number of pax every day, that this doesn't happen more often.

phllax

This may be a question for BoeingBoy or Galley Wench, but I thought the policy is to never declare anyone deceased on board the aircraft, but rather on the jetway or on the tarmac at the bottom of the air stair. The reasoning is that the plane would have to be impounded by the FAA and or local law enforcement authorities.

N830MH

Yeah, it always has happens everyday. Which is why if someone who died during mid-flight, but there's no way to landed in the Pacific Ocean. They have to be completed the flight.

formeraa

Over the years, I've been on several flights with medical emergencies. However, none have diverted. I was on a flight from HNL to LAX with a medical emergency halfway through the flight. They gave us priority landing in LAX and we got in 45 minutes earlier than expected.

FlyingDoctorwu

I rendered aid on a transpacific flight from ICN-LAX. A lady was having chest pain and had taken too much nitroglycerin and bottomed out her blood pressure and passed out. Unfortunately, it took a while for me to figure out what was going on because she only spoke Chinese... I was given the option of diverting the plane to either Anchorage (4 hours) or Tokyo (3.5 hours).. fortunately after am IV and a little fluid she perked up and was adamant about continuing on to her final destination.. I told them to have an ambulance met her at the gate; checking on her periodically but she refused to go to the hospital.. I later learned she got chest pain from time to time but had never seen the doctor... getting Nitroglycerin from the pharmacy in China.. todays was worse so she had taken 3 of them... oh well.. she's an adult and in charge of her own decisions but I'm glad she didn't die on my watch...

FDw

MtlChris

Not a rumor : SQ did have a "cabinet" for storing corpses on their ultra long haul A345, although they specify it's only if no seat is available. You can read about here Airline's new fleet includes a cupboard for corpses