The pilot of a “Latam Airlines” flight that departed from Miami to Santiago in Chile fell ill while the plane was in the air and died shortly thereafter.
The plane – a Boeing 787 – took off from Miami on Monday evening with 271 passengers on board, but the pilot, who has been in the profession for 25 years, suffered a heart attack in flight.
The captain became ill about an hour after the plane had taken off and collapsed in the plane’s bathroom. Even though he was given quick help, it was still not enough to save him.
The co-pilot, who had to make an emergency landing in Panama City, miraculously managed to land the plane at Tocumen International Airport, in Panama.
The colleague stated that during the flight all safety protocols were adopted to save the man’s life, saying that he was “deeply affected” by the loss of the pilot.
“We are deeply shocked by what happened and express our sincere condolences to the family of our employee,” the airline said in a statement.
