Pilot collapses and dies in toilet while he was flying from Miami to Chile

A pilot has collapsed and died in a toilet on-board a Boeing 787 while flying from Miami to Chile, after he began to feel ill.

Pilot collapses and dies in toilet while flying from Miami to Chile.

A pilot has collapsed and died in a toilet on-board a Boeing 787 while flying from Miami to Chile.

Ivan Andaur, 56, was flying LATAM Airlines flight LA505 from Miami International Airport to Santiago, Chile, on Sunday night (local time) when he began to feel ill.

His two co-pilots were forced to make an emergency landing at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, The Sun reports.

Paramedics boarded the plane to provide medical assistance but Andaur was pronounced dead.

A nurse, only known as Isadora on social media, said she tried to revive Andaur, along with another nurse and two doctors, while the plane was landing after he suffered symptoms related to cardiac arrest.

LATAM pilot Ivan Andaur collapsed and died during the flight to Chile. Picture: Facebook

She said that while they and the crew did their best to help him, Isadora said they didn’t have the “necessary or sufficient supplies” to resuscitate him.

“There LATAM needs to improve the issue of protocol in case of health and medical emergencies like this where lives can be saved but the resources are needed,” Isadora said of the Santiago-based airline.

It is not clear what the supplies the nurse was referring to.

Another female passenger said the flight had left Miami at around 11pm (local time) before one of the co-pilots had asked for medical assistance.

Andaur had been in the Chilean Air Force before becoming a commercial pilot. Picture: The Sun

The woman, who has not been identified, said: “After 40 minutes the pilot asked us if there was a doctor on the plane, we don’t know what happened there.”

She said a flight attendant had asked the passengers if anyone had items used for people who were insulin-dependent.

Andaur seen here with his wife who died in 2017. Picture: The Sun

“They told us that we were going to land because the pilot felt sick and when we arrived they asked us to evacuate the plane because the situation had worsened,” the woman said.

The plane spent around 30 minutes at the gate before the airline announced the flight had been cancelled, according to Walter Guerra, a Chilevision TV producer who spoke to the news outlet LUN.

Passengers were booked into local hotels and the flight resumed on Tuesday afternoon.

Andaur had flown in the Chile’s Air Force before joining LATAM.

His wife Veronica died in 2017 and they had a daughter Sofia.

Sky Airline captain Paula Mandini paid tribute to Andaur in a Facebook post.

“I have many memories of flights, conversations and so many things … I have a giant lump in my throat,” she said.

“I only hope that you are with your Vero and from heaven you give strength to your daughter..!!!!! Fly high..!!!!!’

The airline said in a statement: “At LATAM we are deeply moved by what happened and we extend our most sincere condolences to the family of our collaborator.

“We are deeply grateful for his 25-year career and his valuable contribution, who has always stood out for his dedication, professionalism, and commitment.”

This story originally appeared on The Sun and is republished here with permission