Aeroflot Pilot Dies Of Heart Attack Mid-flight

An Aeroflot pilot died of a heart attack during a two-hour domestic flight in Russia on Sunday morning. The Moscow-Anapa flight was diverted to the Platov International Airport in Rostov-on-Don as soon as the pilot complained of uneasiness but he died during the emergency landing, the Russian airline said.

The captain was piloting Flight SU1546 when he began displaying symptoms of distress, Fox News reported. Crew members requested medical help from any doctors on board the Airbus 320 but there weren't any.

Yelena Voronova, a passenger on board, said a flight attendant informed passengers that a cabin crew member was not feeling well and asked if there were any medical professionals on board.

An investigation is underway.

Flight SU1546 departed Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport shortly before 8:30 am and was scheduled to land in Anapa roughly 2 hours later. The plane landed in Rostov instead around 10 am.

An Aeroflot spokesperson told local news outlets, “Unfortunately, it was not possible to resuscitate the pilot.” The Anapa-bound flight reportedly continued its journey with a replacement pilot.

Fox News reports that the deceased pilot had complained about chest pain not long before boarding the flight. The pilot had passed a “routine medical check-up” and “had no health indicators that would have barred him from piloting the aircraft.”