United Airlines Passenger Dies After Experiencing Mid-Air Medical Emergency
United Airlines Passenger Dies After Experiencing Mid-Air Medical Emergency
Colson ThayerThu, October 1, 2026 at 4:02 PM UTC
0
L: A United Airlines plane; R: A stock image depicts an ambulance.Credit: Peter Nicholls/Getty -
United Airlines flight 142 diverted to Seattle on Sept. 29 after a passenger experienced a medical emergency over the Pacific Ocean
Medical personnel met the aircraft upon arrival, but the 71-year-old passenger was later pronounced dead by the local medical examiner
The passenger’s cause of death was listed as “hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease”
A United Airlines passenger who experienced a mid-air medical emergency on an international flight to the United States has died, authorities confirmed to PEOPLE.
On Tuesday, Sept. 29, United Airlines flight 142 departed Narita International Airport in Tokyo, according to FlightAware. The aircraft, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, was scheduled to land in Denver about 12 hours later. However, as the plane was flying over the Pacific Ocean, flight logs show the aircraft diverted to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) in Washington.
In a statement shared with PEOPLE, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed United flight 142 diverted to Seattle around 8:35 a.m. local time “after the crew reported a passenger medical emergency.”
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in WashingtonCredit: George Rose/Getty
Similarly, a United spokesperson confirmed a “passenger medical emergency” and added that the aircraft was met by medical personnel upon arrival. There were 245 passengers and 12 crew members on board.
A spokesperson for the Port of Seattle, which operates the airport, stated the police and fire department responded after the aircraft landed.
“Unfortunately, the person did not survive and was turned over [to] the King County Medical Examiner,” the spokesperson said.
He added: “Unfortunately, we do see this a couple of times a year from long-haul flights. SEA is the closest major airport on flights over the Pacific and we become the diversion point for inbounds to the U.S.”
Advertisement
According to the King County Medical Examiner’s Decedents List from Sept. 30, the passenger was a 71-year-old male named Felmo M. Penola. His manner of death was listed as “natural” and the cause of death was “hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.”
PEOPLE has reached out to the King County Medical Examiner for comment.
The incident comes nearly two months after a 22-year-old died after reportedly experiencing a medical emergency on board a Southwest Airlines flight.
A report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner stated Rain McMillan Walmsey died on Aug. 7. His place of death was listed as “LAX Southwest plane.” At the time, his cause of death was still “pending additional investigation.”
— sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The passenger reportedly had a medical emergency mid-flight on the way to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), NBC4 Los Angeles reported, citing law enforcement sources.
The outlet reports that the plane was traveling from Dallas to L.A. when the medical episode occurred, leading the man to become unresponsive as the plane was mid-air.
on People
Source: “AOL Breaking”
