A commercial flight from Miami to Chile had to make an unexpected stop in Panama on Sunday night, after the pilot collapsed and died in the bathroom. The pilot, identified as Iván Andaur, 56, was flying the LATAM airlines flight with 271 passengers on board when he suffered a suspected cardiac arrest, according to the Sun.
His co-pilots took over the controls and diverted the plane to Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, where they requested medical assistance. Meanwhile, a nurse and two doctors who were among the passengers tried to revive Andaur, but without success.
The nurse, who posted on social media as Isadora, said that they did not have the necessary supplies or equipment to perform a proper resuscitation. She did not specify what they were lacking, but she urged LATAM to improve its protocol for health and medical emergencies like this one.
One of the passengers told the Sun that they heard a co-pilot asking if there were any doctors on the plane about 40 minutes after takeoff. He said that they were informed that the pilot was feeling sick and that they had to land. After landing, they were asked to evacuate the plane because the situation had worsened.
The passengers were accommodated in hotels in Panama City and the flight resumed on Tuesday with a different crew. The airline expressed its deep sadness over the incident and offered its condolences to Andaur’s family.
“LATAM Group is deeply saddened by this event and takes this opportunity to express our most sincere condolences to the family of our employee,” the airline said in a statement. “All the necessary protocols were followed during the flight to safeguard the life of the affected pilot. Unfortunately, after landing and receiving further medical assistance, the pilot passed away.”
