A flight attendant reveals: what really happens when someone dies on a flight?

A former flight attendant has published a video in which she describes the actions required of crew members in the event that a passenger dies during a flight.

And, there is a chance that the deceased will continue to sit in the seat next to you until landing

Voila system!

tourism

04/08/2022

Thursday, 04 August 2022, 09:49 Updated: 10:06

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A flight attendant reveals - this is how you will get an upgrade on a plane to first class (@Cierra_mistt,)

If you are involved in one of the medical professions, it is likely that it has occurred to you many times that during a flight, there is a chance that you will be needed if a medical emergency arises.

However, for the regular passengers, it probably never occurred to you that in some cases, you will find yourself sitting next to a corpse.

According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, in one out of every 600 flights a medical problem arises during the flight.

While it is usually loss of consciousness, breathing problems, heart problems, nausea or vomiting, in 0.3 percent of cases, these are cases that ended in death.

In one out of every 600 flights, a medical problem arises during the flight (Photo: ShutterStock)

emergency landing?

Definately not

Contrary to what can be expected, in such cases, the pilot is not at all required to make an emergency landing.

In fact, apart from the requirement to properly report the incident, there are really no "mandatory" regulations as to what the pilot and crew should do in such cases.

Passenger planes include emergency equipment such as a defibrillator, and flight attendants undergo first aid training that qualifies them to perform CPR.

However, when all these emergency actions fail and the passenger passes away, the next step is to try and maintain a sense of normalcy during the flight, even if that means leaving the body in the seat.

Sheena Marie, 25, worked as a flight attendant for two years.

In a video she uploaded to Tik Tok and went viral, she explains what happens when someone dies during a flight.

After all, while encountering a medical emergency on a plane is a rare matter for the average passenger, for crew members, who sometimes make up to ten flights a week, it is a much more real possibility.

In the video, which has already been viewed by more than 2.8 million viewers, Shayna says that situations where passengers who have died remain in their seats are not at all rare.

"If they have a heart attack and die, and there's nothing we can do about it and we can't start CPR, we'll just wait until we get to our final destination," she said in the video.

And despite the popular myth, according to which the body is put in one of the toilets, Shaina explains that this does not happen at all, since it is impossible to strap the body in the toilets.

Important Information

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Served on behalf of Shachel

The flight attendant Shaina Marie.

The video you uploaded on the subject has already been viewed 2.8 million times (photo: screenshot, Tiktok)

Why do you actually call the doctor?

The Mirror website states that the International Airline Organization (IATA) has published guidelines for the case when a passenger loses consciousness for a long time during a flight. According to the recommendations, CPR should be performed for at least 30 minutes, unless this is not possible due to severe weather which shakes the plane. Also, if there are doctors on the plane, they will be asked to assist. This is required not only because of his help but because a doctor is the only person who can legally declare death.

According to the instructions, the crew must immediately notify the cockpit of the emergency, in order to that the captain be able to request that those in positions relevant to the situation wait for the plane at the destination. Whether the passenger is deemed dead by a qualified doctor or whether there is no doctor on the plane who can declare it, many times the captain decides that there is no point in landing the plane or diverting it from its original route. After all, it is already Won't help at all.

However, according to Shaina, the pilot has the final say in any decision made on the matter, and often such decisions are made in consultation with air traffic control and medical services on the ground.

When dying in flight, the captain decides whether to land the plane at the original destination or not (Photo: ShutterStock)

Sometimes the dead gets an upgrade to business

Instead, IATA guidelines recommend moving the body to a seat with "few other passengers nearby," such as business class or a row with empty seats. However, when the plane is full, crew members must "return the [deceased] person to his or her seat." "In an upright position, using the seat belt or other restraint equipment to hold the body in place."

The instructions continue with "Close his eyes and cover his body with a blanket up to his neck."

After landing, all passengers should get off the plane while the body and everyone traveling with the deceased should stay put.

Eventually, medical professionals and other officials at the airport arrive and take command of the matter.

And of course, as in any situation of death, one must act with compassion and respect for the deceased.

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