What happens if someone dies during a flight?
On the list of things you don’t want to be sitting next to on a long-haul flight a dead body is right up there, but apparently it’s actually not an entirely uncommon experience.
Confidential government data supplied to news.com.au has revealed approximately 34 people have passed away on international and domestic flights landing in Australia since 2014, which works out to be almost one person a month.
So, what happens when if someone dies during a flight?
Well, according to one long-time Qantas employee Frank (not his real name), while there is a procedure it really depends on the situation and the circumstances.
“If it (the aircraft) was full ... you’d have to move the body somewhere or move passengers away. It’s just one of those things — it’s delicate. You’ve just got to think on your feet and work it out on the day,” Frank told news.com.au.
“You’re dealing with people and you’re trying to reassure people and... trying to keep people calm.”
“The first thing you want to do is just to assess it and then just try and find a doctor on board,” he added, “Generally speaking, there’s always someone with some medical training on board.”
Scott Caulfield, a member of the Australian Federal Police’s (AFP) airport operations team, added that in these situations airlines, operators and police tried to work together, “as efficiently and with as much compassion as possible.”
“We get paid to... do a job on behalf of the best interest of the coroner and the family (of the deceased),” he said.
“It’s a very controlled environment for such a traumatic experience from a procedural point of view,” Mr Caulfield continued. “It is basically a crime scene until we establish otherwise, at that stage. So everyone is asked to stay seated on the plane by the crew.
“We board the plane, speak to the crew, go down to where the person is located on the plane and assess the situation and also then speak to the relevant family members or friends or witnesses … We normally have an ambulance come and attend to just confirm the person is deceased.”
Were you aware of this?