Ivan Andaur, 56, was on LATAM Airlines flight LA505 from Miami International Airport, USA to Santiago, Chile, last Sunday evening when he started feeling sick.
The two co-pilots were forced to make an emergency landing at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, according to The Sun.
Paramedics boarded the plane to assist but Andaur was pronounced dead.
Captain Ivan Andaur has 25 years of flying experience with LATAM.
Nurse Isadora, who was also a passenger on the flight, said she tried to resuscitate Andaur along with another nurse and two doctors. It was at this time that the plane was landing after the pilot had symptoms consistent with cardiac arrest. The crew and doctors on board tried their best to help the pilot but unfortunately did not have the "necessary or sufficient equipment" to resuscitate him.
Another female passenger said the flight left Miami at around 11pm (local time) and after about 40 minutes, the crew members asked if there was a doctor on board…
"They told us the plane was going to land because the pilot was sick and when we landed they asked us to evacuate the plane because the situation was getting worse," the passenger recounted.
The flight was later cancelled and passengers stayed at local hotels awaiting the next flight two days later.
Captain Andaur flew in the Chilean Air Force before joining the country's airline LATAM.
“We are extremely grateful for his 25-year career and valuable contributions, which have always distinguished him for his dedication, professionalism and commitment,” the airline said in a statement.
What happens when a pilot dies on the flight?
Pilots dying suddenly mid-flight is rare, but there have been a few cases. In 2015, the pilot of an American Airlines Airbus A320 died in the cockpit. The co-pilot made an emergency landing at a nearby airport.
When a pilot suddenly dies, his or her place will be taken by another pilot, or any other crew member on the flight will continue the journey (as many flight attendants have been trained in this emergency situation).
In the case of both pilots on the same flight being sick, according to observers, it has never happened. Airlines have applied many different methods to avoid this, for example, the two pilots always eat two different meals to limit both of them from getting food poisoning; are trained to recognize signs of abnormal health of the person flying together...
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