UNEXPECTED

Plane Passenger Dies After Collapsing on Flight

The police are investigating the cause of death.

A 72-year-old passenger collapsed mid-flight from Amsterdam to Hong Kong and was pronounced dead “on arrival” by the police. In a statement to People, the Hong Kong Police Force stated that a “post-mortem examination will be conducted later to ascertain the cause of death of the deceased.” According to the statement, police were notified that a passenger had collapsed at around 7:22 a.m. local time on Sunday, Jan. 11, as the flight was approaching Hong Kong airport. The passenger was then transferred to a local hospital and certified dead. Cathay Pacific—the airline the passenger was on—confirmed the death of one of its passengers to People and praised crew members who “immediately provided first aid and called ambulance service on standby.” The flight arrived at its destination at 7:38 a.m., with paramedics boarding the plane, and the airline stated they “later” learned that the passenger “passed away in the hospital.” The Daily Beast has contacted Cathay Pacific for further comment. In December, a 20-year-old passenger on the same airline attempted to open a door on a U.S.-Hong Kong flight in mid-air and was later arrested.