MIAMI, FLORIDA: In a tragic incident, an airline pilot lost his life after collapsing in the bathroom of a flight en route from Miami to Chile, with a total of 271 passengers on board.
The co-pilot swiftly took charge of the situation, making the difficult decision to divert the flight for an emergency landing in Panama, on Monday, August 14, as per a report from the Independent.
Who was Captain Ivan Andaur?
Captain Ivan Andaur, 56, was a commercial pilot for LATAM Airlines. Before becoming part of LATAM, Andaur had a history of serving in Chile's Air Force. His wife Veronica had died in 2017. Together, they had a daughter named Sofia.
About three hours into the flight from Florida to Santiago on Monday, Andaur began feeling unwell and suddenly collapsed in the onboard restroom. The flight crew quickly provided emergency care, but he was pronounced dead.
Ivan Andaur's cause of death
As the plane was landing, a nurse, two doctors, and another nurse worked to revive Andaur, who had symptoms of a heart attack, per The Sun. Unfortunately, despite their efforts, they lacked the necessary supplies for effective resuscitation, according to one of the nurses.
The nurse said, "Unfortunately, we did not have the necessary or sufficient supplies to perform a good resuscitation. There LATAM needs to improve the issue of protocol in case of health and medical emergencies like this where lives can be saved but the resources are needed."
One female passenger recounted that a co-pilot had requested medical aid during the flight. She said, "After 40 minutes the pilot asked us if there was a doctor on the plane, we don't know what happened there."
"They told us that we were going to land because the pilot felt sick and when we arrived they asked us to evacuate the plane because the situation had worsened."
What happened to the Santiago-bound LATAM airlines flight?
The aircraft remained at the gate for approximately 30 minutes before the airline made an announcement that the flight had been canceled. The passengers were provided accommodations in local hotels, and the flight was eventually resumed on Tuesday afternoon, August 15.
The LA505 flight, operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, departed from Miami at 10:11 pm on Monday, August 14. The flight included a relief captain and a first officer onboard when the incident occurred.
"LATAM Airlines Group reports that flight LA505 yesterday, which was on the Miami-Santiago route, had to land at the Tocumen International Airport in Panama due to a medical emergency for one of the three members of the command crew. When the plane landed, emergency services provided life-saving help, but the pilot sadly passed away," the airline said in a statement, according to The Independent.
"We are deeply moved by what has happened, and we extend our sincere condolences to the family of our employee. We are deeply grateful for his 25-year career and his valuable contribution, which was always distinguished by his dedication, professionalism, and dedication. During the flight, all the necessary safety protocols were carried out to safeguard the life of the affected pilot."
