An American on board a Fiji Airways flight bound for San Francisco died on Saturday despite desperate efforts by the flight crew to save him.
The 41-year-old male passenger “experienced a medical issue” about an hour and a half before the flight was scheduled to land at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) from Nadi, Fiji on Saturday. Fiji Airways said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Despite the best efforts of the cabin crew and the onboard doctor and immediate rescue efforts, the passenger unfortunately passed away,” the airline said in a statement.
The Airbus crew “declared a medical emergency” and the plane landed safely at San Francisco International Airport at 2:34 p.m., it said. Flight Aware.
Fiji Airways ground handlers and emergency medical personnel waited on the plane upon arrival to try to rescue the passenger, who was already dead.
The airline praised Airbus’ “fast and professional response to this emergency by its cabin crew and doctors.”
“Our deepest condolences go to the family and friends of the person who lost their life at this difficult time,” the airline said.
The circumstances of the passenger’s death remain unknown.
The Post contacted San Francisco International Airport and Fiji Airways.
The aerial tragedy comes one month after the mother of a 14-year-old boy who died on an American Airlines flight in 2022 announced she would sue the airline for negligence.
Melissa Arzu of New York City claims the defibrillator used by flight crew to save her son, Kevin Greenidge, on American Airlines Flight 614, which was flying from Honduras to Miami, was faulty.
She also claims flight attendants were slow to respond after the boy lost consciousness and that crew members were not adequately trained on how to use the defibrillator, which has since gone missing, according to the lawsuit filed in Texas.
“After Kevin died, the equipment went missing,” said Hannah Crowe, the lawyer for the grieving mother.
“Did someone at American Airlines sabotage it on purpose? Was it defective? Did they put it back in service?”
Crowe claims that witnesses testified that the AED device used to resuscitate Kevin appeared to not be working.
Kevin suffered from asthma and type 2 diabetes. His primary cause of death was listed as a “myocardial infarction,” or heart attack.
Since 2004, defibrillators have been mandatory on all commercial flights. Federal Aviation Administration.
If the device is not installed, or is deemed inoperable, the plane will not be able to take off.
