Passenger Barbara Dipoli, a 53-year-old resident of Topeka, Kansas, passed away during Air France flight AF334 from Paris to Boston on January 14, 2025. Despite immediate medical assistance from an onboard doctor and trained crew, Dipoli could not be saved. The flight, delayed by approximately 16 minutes, touched down at Boston Logan International Airport’s Gate E6 shortly before 5 p.m. local time.
An Air France spokesperson confirmed that Dipoli had a heart attack during the flight. “Despite the intervention of a doctor on board, mobilized and assisted by the crew, the customer could not be rescued,” the spokespn stated.
Upon the Airbus A350’s arrival, emergency crews rushed to the scene. The Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit classified the incident as an “unattended death,” indicating that no official medical professionals were present at the time of death. Troopers and detectives examined the aircraft following the landing, with the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death ongoing.
In a statement, the airline highlighted its emergency protocols: “Air France reminds that its crew members are regularly trained to handle these kinds of situations. “Air France regrets this sad event and expresses its sincere condolences,”
Medical emergencies during flights are not as rare as some might think. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aviation data shows that such incidents happen on about one in every 604 flights. In 90% of these cases, the aircraft continues to its planned destination, while 10% divert due to serious medical issues like cardiac arrest, chest pain, or potential strokes.
U.S. aviation authorities’ statistics show that approximately 44,000 flights per year experience a medical event. The most common medical situations include fainting, gastrointestinal issues, respiratory problems, neurological complications, and seizures. While less common, cardiac events often pose the most significant risk. The overall death rate for in-flight medical emergencies is roughly 0.3%.
This incident follows several other recent in-flight medical emergencies, including a case in October 2024 involving Turkish Airlines. During that flight, pilot İlçehin Pehlivan, 59, collapsed while operating a 12-hour journey from Seattle, Washington to Istanbul. Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 recorded the aircraft flying north over Canada before turning around over Baffin Island for an emergency landing at JFK airport in New York.
“After an unsuccessful attempt to give first aid, the flight crew of another pilot and a co-pilot decided to make an emergency landing, but he died before landing,” Turkish Airlines reported on social media. Pehlivan, employed by the airline since 2007, had passed his medical examination in March 2024.
Aviation experts emphasize that while medical emergencies can happen on any flight, airlines maintain extensive training programs for crew members to manage such situations. The presence of medical professionals among passengers, as in both recent cases, provides additional support during inflight emergencies, though outcomes can’t always be foreseen.
