QF10 LHR/SIN 6/3/10, deceased pax

[QF WP]

My step M-i-L has just arrived back from LHR this morning and advised me that on her flight to SIN last night (QF10) there was a pax that died on the flight.

She was asleep over the Adaman Sea when she woke up to the plane changing flight level and when she checked the Flight Map, it had begun to track towards BKK. She then became aware of the crew and medical personnel taking medical equipment bck to the section of Economy behind her (she was in second section of Economy).

Later, the diversion changed back to tracking to SIN and it became apparent that nothing more could be done for the lady. Seems that she was travelling with other family, as they got out at SIN and stayed with the deceased (she believes they were on their way to MEL).

My step M-i-L continued onto QF52

 

[munitalP]

Ick...!


How do you deal with sitting next to a corpse - ! or even knowing there's one in front or behind you...?

Do they leave the deceased in the seat? In a body bag?

I need to know more, this could be the necessary medication to cure my love of flying!

Mr!

 

[anat0l]

Ick...!


How do you deal with sitting next to a corpse - ! or even knowing there's one in front or behind you...?

Do they leave the deceased in the seat? In a body bag?

I need to know more, this could be the necessary medication to cure my love of flying!

Mr!

Well, if you were flying BA, the deceased gets a free upgrade to F.

 

[markis10]

Not a good weekend to be a QF staffer at SIN, between this event and QF31 going broke they have been busy.

 

[737]

Ick...!


How do you deal with sitting next to a corpse - ! or even knowing there's one in front or behind you...?

Do they leave the deceased in the seat? In a body bag?

I need to know more, this could be the necessary medication to cure my love of flying!

Mr!

On QF, we would place them in a seat, with the seatbelt fastened, and move people from the surrounding area if this was possible. We would place a blanket over them to their chest and put some eye-shades on them if available. We would semi-recline the deceased for the flight until it was time to land where the seat would be upright.

Less disturbance as possible for the family and the deceased.

Of course, there are some airlines that have special chilled compartments or bags that they put them in, but I am not familiar with specifics.

 

[rwatts]

I was hoping that an FA like 737 would respond to this one.

Moving the surrounding pax as much as spare seating permits would certainly be preferable to moving the deceased. I cannot think of a respectful way to move a corpse from an aircraft seat (and I'm especially visualising a "larger" person like myself who prefers a window seat !).

I think that seeing such an activity would be much more distressing to other pax than knowing one was present but accommodated as 737 describes.

Richard.

 

[Air Chef]

As a retired Qf Chief Steward, I had a problem Syd/Sin many moons ago, an elderly couple travelling in e/y, the gentleman suffered a heart attack, we had to lay him in the aisle during the meal service and carry out CPR, this was to no avail and we moved him to the rear row of F/C and laid him on the floor covered by blankets, due to there being no spare seats. One would normally lay the body flat where permissable because of rigor mortis setting in and making it hard for the medical staff at destination to deal.
The wife of the deceased also passed away en-route due to shock and medical problems, she was secured in her seat as explained by 737. I spent the majority of my slip in Singapore filling in the paperwork for this sad occasion.
On a lighter note, I received a complaint from some pax seated near the couple that they had received no meal or service during the emergency, this was posted to QF some weeks later.!!!

 

[rwatts]

As a retired Qf Chief Steward...

Thanks Air Chef and welcome to AFF. Its always good to have authoritative information from the other side of the operation. We seem to be blessed with a growing number of insiders of late.

Richard.

 

[docjames]

On a lighter note, I received a complaint from some pax seated near the couple that they had received no meal or service during the emergency, this was posted to QF some weeks later.!!!

Welcome Air Chef.

I bet you were pleased (not) to get that complaint - sheesh, some people have no insight. How dare someone die and ruin their meal service.... :evil::shock:

 

[oz_mark]

Welcome Air Chef.

I bet you were pleased (not) to get that complaint - sheesh, some people have no insight. How dare someone die and ruin their meal service.... :evil::shock:

It's happened to me. During the staff dealing with the medical emergency they managed to overcook all the meals in economy. Not much you can do about it.

 

[docjames]

It's happened to me. During the staff dealing with the medical emergency they managed to overcook all the meals in economy. Not much you can do about it.

I trust you put in a complaint to qantas demanding satisfaction.....

 

[straitman]

As a retired Qf Chief Steward

Air Chef,

Welcome to AFF and for sharing your insight.

 

[Flying Fox]

As a retired Qf Chief Steward, I had a problem Syd/Sin many moons ago, an elderly couple travelling in e/y, the gentleman suffered a heart attack, we had to lay him in the aisle during the meal service and carry out CPR, this was to no avail and we moved him to the rear row of F/C and laid him on the floor covered by blankets, due to there being no spare seats. One would normally lay the body flat where permissable because of rigor mortis setting in and making it hard for the medical staff at destination to deal.
The wife of the deceased also passed away en-route due to shock and medical problems, she was secured in her seat as explained by 737. I spent the majority of my slip in Singapore filling in the paperwork for this sad occasion.
On a lighter note, I received a complaint from some pax seated near the couple that they had received no meal or service during the emergency, this was posted to QF some weeks later.!!!

What a sad story. Well done to you for dealing with the situation in such a professional manner.

 

[rmflinders]

I just found this thread. I was on this flight in Business.

They did divert the flight to Bangkok and about 30 minutes out changed it back to Singapore. We didn't know exactly what was happening till landing and the Captain asked everyone to remain in their seat whilst the deceased was removed.
All service was canceled about 3 hours out and we got no food or drinks at all as all crew were busy!

It was a sad event and I was comtemplating the death as I had joined the flight after delaying my return to Melbourne due to the death of my brother. I drove straight from the funeral to the airport.

Flight was an hour or so late into Melbourne.

 

[Flying Fox]

All service was canceled about 3 hours out and we got no food or drinks at all as all crew were busy!

Having never been in this situation, what were the crew busy doing and hence their reason for cancelling the rest of the service?

I would have thought that they would have secured the individual, shuffled passenges away from where they secured the individual and carried on normal service.

 

[rmflinders]

All the staff were backwards & forwards even on the upper deck. So I suspect that they spent quite a while trying to save the pax.
I have a feeling that they didn't have enough staff to serve everyone and it was better to cancel all service than have the complaints about some getting served and others nothing. Wonder if F was also cancelled?

I really wasn't that bothered and grabbed a snack in the QC in Singapore.

 

[NM]

All the staff were backwards & forwards even on the upper deck. So I suspect that they spent quite a while trying to save the pax.
I have a feeling that they didn't have enough staff to serve everyone and it was better to cancel all service than have the complaints about some getting served and others nothing. Wonder if F was also cancelled?

The cabin crew may have been busy preparing the cabin for an earlier-than-planned landing at BKK, which would involve stowing everything in the galleys etc. Then when the decision was made to continue to SIN instead there was not enough time to get all the service stuff back out, heat meals, serve and re-stow before landing in SIN.

 

[UP4014]

As a retired Qf Chief Steward, I had a problem Syd/Sin many moons ago, an elderly couple travelling in e/y, the gentleman suffered a heart attack, we
<snipped>
The wife of the deceased also passed away en-route due to shock and medical problems, she was secured in her seat as explained by 737. I spent the majority of my slip in Singapore filling in the paperwork for this sad occasion.

A really sad story, and for the waiting family at the desintation.

 

[Sprucegoose]

One would normally lay the body flat where permissable because of rigor mortis setting in and making it hard for the medical staff at destination to deal.

Welcome Air Chef.

I recall a deceased in 2E. (F) they covered him up and put the seat down and all got on with it.

I also recall a statistic that there is an 80% chance of having a doctor on a flight? Does QF pre-identify these people?

If I may, a question - What sort of medication do they carry in their on board medical kit?

Cheers

SPRUCE

I believe all flkight

 

[markis10]

I dont think QF pre-identify medically trained customers given the number of calls for help I have heard.

The FAA has a mandated kit,it may be out of date in terms of current laws but gives you an idea :

This article makes for interesting reading from a doctors perspective:

australiandoctor.com.au