Deceased Passenger

[Una Due Tfc]

Over the years I've had a few medical emergencies in my sector where the passenger in trouble has sadly passed away despite the best efforts of crew/doctors/nurses on board. In these cases the aircraft have decided to no longer divert and continue on to destination.

I assume you would need a doctor on board to declare the passenger legally dead in order to continue to dest. My question is what do you do with the passenger after giving up CPR etc? Do the CC drag the body through the cabin and possibly unsettle other pax to lay them out in the galley? Do they just throw a blanket over the pax in their seat despite traumatised family probably being present?

An incredibly morbid question to ask I know, but my curiosity has the better of me here.

[750XL]

Unfortunately I've come across a few flights arriving with deceased pax on board, all were treated differently.

1) 767-300. Gentleman died in his sleep next to his wife and daughter, gentleman was lay in fwd galley with a blanket over him. Not great for the cabin crew occupying the jump seats.

2) A319. Gentleman suffered a heart attack in flight, despite best efforts couldn't be save. Full flight so was left in his seat with a blanket over him.

3) 757 (I think?). Cabin crew tried to awake gentlemen for descent, he had passed away. Doctor was called for on board and confirmed the pax was deceased, he was left in his seat as it wasn't a full flight and other pax weren't aware he had passed away.

4) 777 from Pakistan, older lady passed away, placed in the toilet for the remainder of the 6 hour flight!

[Una Due Tfc]

6 hours? Wow, rigomortis would be well underway then, I'm guessing the Undertakers had a tough job fitting her in a coffin......

[Paracab]

Una Due Tfc

I doubt it - whether you die air or landborne, rigored or not, the undertakers have seen it all before!

[+TSRA]

Thankfully, I've not come across this situation yet...unlike 750XL. :bored:

However, our procedures are quite clear that if they are confirmed deceased by a physician on board, position them such that it appears they are asleep so as not to alarm other passengers. If we do not have a doctor on board, then we are to divert regardless of whether we "know" the passenger has passed away. I think that's more a liability thing than anything though.

Personally, I'd like to make it through my career without ever having to deal with that situation, but it sounds like 750XL handled them all with the professionalism and care one would hope to receive!

[Una Due Tfc]

I can imagine the risk the Captain would be taking by continuing to destination without the passenger being declared legally dead. I'm guessing the ensuing civil case would cost the company a lot more than the extra fuel and handling fees.

[Dan Winterland]

We have a term "apparently deceased" for these situations as not even a doctor could legally declare someone dead in flight. The body is put in a body bag (head out) and usually placed in their seat for the remainder of the flight.


In a previous airline, we had a very overweight pax die en-route to Florida from the UK. It was particularly traumatic for the family as it was Granddad taking two sets of family and grandkids to the holiday of a lifetime to Disneyland. We couldn't more him or relocate passengers on the full flight. However, my sympathy for the family waned a little when I head a week late that on repatriation of the body, his widow had asked if she could use her dead husband's duty free allowance. The travelling British public at their best!

[Exascot]

I've had a few deaths on board and there is no set procedure it just depends on circumstances, aircraft type, pax load etc.

...his widow had asked if she could use her dead husband's duty free allowance. The travelling British public at their best! :D

When carrying coffins in the hold I have often asked the same as the captain as a joke. One customs officer said yes, but only if the deceased carried it in.

[GroundScot]

Regrettably used to have about one death every three weeks when the B742RR used to transit the Gulf en-route LHR - OZ.

Used to be people going to see their relations on their 'last trip' on a 3 or 4 sector flight!

All Gulf states refused for a dead body to be 'landed' let alone certified dead, so the body either had to be covered with blankets [BAH,DOH,DXB, AUH] or removed to the hold [KWI] depending on local 'procedures'.

Not good for the the crew, as very often used the crew rest back row! The incoming crew were always glad to leave the aircraft.... not quite so good for the joining crew... but little else we could do

probably changed a bit since then......

[750XL]

Personally, I'd like to make it through my career without ever having to deal with that situation, but it sounds like 750XL handled them all with the professionalism and care one would hope to receive!

Fortunately, I'm only the monkey that meets you at the end of your flight and don't work on board, which is probably why I've seen a fair few deceased pax upon arrival.

One thing I have noticed is from my own experiences and my colleagues, is that each situation tends to be handled very differently depending on the airline, aircraft and culture of passengers. In each case, though, it's been handled as best as they can.

I did some work on cabin standards a few years back and I gather that some of the ULH aircraft that were coming into service at the time had a customer option for a refrigerated bay/drawer to keep a deceased pax. It only came up in conversation but it seemed to be a serious comment made by someone who would know.

I believe that Singapore A345 ULH aircraft have a 'body cupboard'!