A pilot for Latam, the Chilean airline, died Monday after suffering a health emergency on a flight from Miami to Santiago, Chile, which forced the plane to make an emergency landing in Panama, the Chilean airline said.
Latam said in a statement on Wednesday that the pilot was among a crew of three on a flight from Miami International Airport to Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago. The airline, which is based in Santiago, did not disclose the name of the pilot or the nature of the health problem, but said it was “grateful for his 25 years of service” to the airline.
“The LATAM Group is deeply saddened by this event and takes this opportunity to express our deepest condolences to the family of our employee,” the company said, adding that the pilot “was distinguished by his dedication, professionalism and enthusiasm.”
according to FlightAwareflight data tracker, Latam’s flight, which normally takes nearly eight hours, took off from Miami at 9:41 p.m. Three hours later, the plane, a Boeing 787, descended quickly, descending nearly 30,000 feet in 10 minutes. Minutes before landing at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City.
The airline said the pilot died after receiving medical assistance upon landing. Latam said it followed “all necessary protocols” during the flight to protect the pilot’s life.
In its statement to its passengers, the airline apologized for the delay and said the flight resumed the next day and landed in Santiago at 4 a.m. Wednesday.
It is rare for a pilot to die after suffering a medical emergency during flight. In 2015, an American Airlines flight carrying 147 passengers made an emergency landing in Syracuse, New York, after the pilot fell ill and died. In 2009, a Continental Airlines flight with 247 passengers on board landed safely in Newark after the 60-year-old captain He died of a heart attack.