A commercial flight from Miami to Santiago, Chile made an emergency landing in Panama due to the sudden illness of the pilot.
During a LATAM Airlines flight on the evening of August 13, 56-year-old pilot Iván Andaur felt unwell and went to the bathroom, where he reportedly experienced a cardiac arrest and died.
Two co-pilots on board immediately redirected the aircraft for an emergency landing at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City.
A nurse and two doctors, who were passengers on the flight, quickly attempted to provide assistance to Andaur. However, due to a lack of vital medical supplies on the plane, they were unable to effectively perform resuscitation. A nurse on board criticized LATAM for not developing a more comprehensive medical emergency plan.
According to one passenger, around 40 minutes after take-off, a co-pilot requested medical assistance over the plane’s speaker system and informed passengers that the flight would be making an emergency landing due to a pilot’s sudden illness. After the unplanned stop in Panama City, the airline arranged accommodations for the passengers, who resumed their journey two days later.
LATAM Airlines later released a statement asserting that all appropriate protocols were followed during the incident to prioritize the pilot’s health. Despite the efforts of medical personnel on landing, Andaur could not be saved.