Tragic Mid-Flight Death of Flying Instructor: Co-Pilot Mistook Cardiac Arrest for a Joke A tragic incident occurred when a flying instructor...

Tragic Mid-Flight Death of Flying Instructor: Co-Pilot Mistook Cardiac Arrest for a Joke

A tragic incident occurred when a flying instructor suffered a cardiac arrest mid-flight and passed away, but his co-pilot was oblivious to the situation, thinking that he was just joking around until they landed and found him slumped over on his shoulder. The incident occurred on June 29, 2022, while the two were flying a circuit above Blackpool Airport in Lancashire, England.

According to a safety report published by the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), the pilot had asked the instructor to join him aboard the Piper PA-28, which had a capacity of four passengers, for safety reasons during windy conditions. Before takeoff, the two had a normal conversation while the pilot taxied the plane to the runway, and the instructor's last words were “Looks good, there is nothing behind you.”

Shortly after takeoff, the instructor’s head rolled back, and the co-pilot assumed he was pretending to take a nap. When the plane turned around, the instructor slumped over so that his head rested on the co-pilot's shoulder, but the pilot still believed that the instructor was playing a prank on him.

After landing safely with the instructor still unresponsive and resting on his shoulder, the pilot realized something was wrong and alerted airport emergency services, who were unable to revive the instructor. The instructor, who had close to 9,000 hours of flying experience, was said to be in good spirits before his final flight.

The medical department of the UK Civil Aviation Authority conducted a review of the incident and the instructor’s medical history and concluded that he likely suffered a cardiac arrest as the aircraft took off. Although he had high blood pressure, it was within regulatory limits.

The AAIB's report concludes that, while the co-pilot was qualified and able to land the plane safely, the outcome could have been much different. The report highlights that no tests or assessments can give a 100% reliable detection of cardiac issues, and a balance needs to be struck between minimizing the risk to flight safety and providing fair and reasonable medical assessment of individuals.