Mid-Flight Crisis As Airline Captain Fights For His Life

What are the consequences when a pilot becomes critically ill during a flight? A LATAM Airlines journey from Miami to Santiago in Chile faced this rare and tragic situation, which resulted in the death of the captain.

On Monday, August 14, LATAM Airlines flight LA505, operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with registration CC-BGI, departed Miami for Santiago de Chile. Three hours into the flight, Captain Ivan Andaur became seriously ill, leading to an emergency diversion to Panama City, writes Simple Flying.

Pilot Taken Seriously Ill Mid-Flight

While cruising at 37,000ft, around 120 miles north of Panama City, Captain Andaur felt unwell and left the cockpit to use the bathroom. Tragically, he collapsed, and despite immediate assistance from other crew members, his condition worsened.

The remaining crew, including a relief captain and a first officer, made the decision to divert to Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport (PTY). The aircraft landed safely on runway 03L approximately 28 minutes later.

Statement From Airline

Upon landing, medical teams pronounced Captain Andaur, a 25-year veteran of LATAM, dead. In a statement, LATAM said, ‘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 statement further read, ‘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.’

Following the tragic incident, the aircraft left Panama City on Tuesday, August 15, at 5:24 pm local time. It arrived in Santiago at 11:55 pm, delayed by around five hours and 31 minutes.