This Is What Happens When A Passenger On A Plane Dies

Have you ever wondered what happens if you die while you're on a plane?

Granted, it's not the most cheerful of topics, nor the most likely of outcomes, but - very, very occasionally - it does happen.

And now, thanks to a few travellers who happened to experience the death of a fellow traveller, we know exactly what goes on.

A spokesperson for Ryanair told The Sun: "All Ryanair aircraft carry first aid equipment, in full compliance with EU safety regulations, and all crew are trained in first aid procedures, including defibrillators, which are carried on board.

"Should an incident occur in flight which requires medical intervention, our crew divert to the nearest suitable airport and request medical assistance to be on standby before landing."

PA

In most cases, bodies are whisked off to an empty row or business class, covered by a rug - although this varies, depending on the airlines.

Attendant Annette Long said to Business Insider: "I would probably put a blanket over the person so it would become less of something to look at. You want to maintain dignity and respect for someone who passed away.

"You don't want anyone staring at them. That would be really sad."

But that's what the staff say - what about people who've experienced someone dying on their flight?

A Quora user said her husband had died while flying to New Zealand, explaining: "We were in business class and he went to sleep in a lie flat sleeper seat and did not wake up.

"When he would not wake up I got a flight steward who then went and fetched a passenger who was a doctor.

"He performed the usual signs of life tests and declared him deceased approximately four hours prior to landing.

PA

"He stayed in his sleeper seats covered with a blanket for the rest of the journey and I lay beside him and held him until we landed.

"Interestingly his death certificates states the place of death was Flight NZ5 between Los Angeles and Auckland."

Another user told their story, writing: "A woman sitting two rows behind me on an 11-hour flight from Frankfurt to Singapore had stopped breathing on the last leg of the trip.

"The woman's immediate neighbours were allocated new seats as they lay her across the row of seats.

"Once it was determined that there was nothing else they could do, they covered her body with a sheet (but not her face) and the flight carried on as per normal."

So now you know.

Topics: Death, Interesting, travel, Aeroplane, Weird

Amelia Ward

Amelia is a journalist at LADbible. After studying journalism at Liverpool John Moores and Salford Uni (don't ask), she went into PR and then the world of music. She spent a few years working on festivals and events before joining LADbible. In her spare time, Amelia likes music and spending good, quality time with her cat, Paul. You can contact Amelia at [email protected].

@ameliasward