A pilot flying a LATAM Airlines plane from Miami to Chile collapsed in the bathroom and died mid-flight Tuesday morning. The plane was carrying 271 passengers.
The pilot, Captain Ivan Andaur, who had been with the airline for 25 years, began to feel unwell three hours into the trip, according to Simple Flying. So he made his way to the bathroom, where he became incapacitated. Other crew members tried to give him medical assistance while a co-pilot diverted the plane and, 28 minutes later, made an emergency landing in Panama.
From Simple Flying:
Sadly, Captain Andaur, a veteran pilot of 25 years' service flying for LATAM, was pronounced dead by medical teams once the aircraft had safely landed in Panama City. …
Following the incident, the aircraft eventually departed Panama City yesterday (Tuesday, August 15th) at 17:24 local time, eventually arriving in Santiago at 23:55 – around 5 hours and 31 minutes later.
It should be pointed out that although pilot incapacitation is an incredibly rare event, regretfully, it does happen. Simple Flying has reported on several incidences this year alone where a crew member on a particular flight has become unwell, resulting in the remaining pilot (or pilots, as in the case of LATAM LA505) landing the airplane.
