Pilot flying from Miami to Chile dies during flight with 271 passengers aboard

On a trip from Miami to Chile with 271 passengers, an airline pilot passed away after falling in the restroom.

Three hours into the LATAM Airlines flight from Florida to Santiago, Captain Ivan Andaur started to feel unwell. He collapsed in the lavatory and needed medical care from the crew, according to Simple Flying.

After a 30-minute detour to Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport, first responders pronounced pilot Andaur, who had been flying for 25 years, dead.

On Monday, August 14, at 10:11 p.m., the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner-operated LA505 flight departed Miami with a relief captain and first officer also present.

“LATAM Airlines Group reports that flight LA505 yesterday, which was on the Miami-Santiago route, had to land at the Tocumen International Airport in Panama due to a medical emergency for one of the three members of the command crew. When the plane landed, emergency services provided life-saving help, but the pilot sadly passed away,” the airline said in a statement.

“We are deeply moved by what has happened, and we extend our sincere condolences to the family of our employee. We are deeply grateful for his 25-year career and his valuable contribution, which was always distinguished by his dedication, professionalism, and dedication. During the flight, all the necessary safety protocols were carried out to safeguard the life of the affected pilot.”

The flight left Panama City on Tuesday and continued to Chile after the incident.

The New York Post said that Captain Andaur was 56 years old.