Student's Fall From Plane Caused By 'Undocumented' Psychotic Reaction To Antimalarial Drug

Alana Cutland, the student who fell to death from a plane in Madagascar, had an "undocumented" psychotic reaction to antimalarial drug, a coroner's court was told.

The 19-year-old from Milton Keynes, U.K., opened the door of a light aircraft during a flight between Anjajavay and Antananarivo in Madagascar. She leapt from the plane and fell to her death on July 25, 2019, BBC reported.

Cutland was a second-year student of Natural Sciences at Robinson College, Cambridge, when she visited the African island for a research internship. She reportedly suffered "paranoia attacks" while on the trip, and had been in regular contact with her parents, who had encouraged her to cut short her six-week-trip.

The tragic incident happened on her way to the hospital for a fitness test to fly back to U.K. Cutland fell from the two-door Cessna C168 despite the efforts of the pilot and a fellow passenger to keep her inside the plane.

"After 10 minutes of flight, she undid her seatbelt and unlocked the right door of the plane and tried to get out," local Police Chief Sinola Nomenjahary said.

The fellow passenger struggled to hold her back, but Cutland intentionally fell from 1,130 meters (3707 feet) above sea level, The Guardian reported. Her body was later found by the villagers.

She had taken doxycycline as an antimalarial drug during her trip, and reportedly suffered a psychotic reaction to it. The investigation initially ruled out the possibility of adverse reaction to the drug, but later concluded that it was the cause of her death.

Tom Osborne, senior coroner for Milton Keynes, addressed his concerns to the court in a prevention of future deaths report. "It was quite apparent from the evidence that she had a psychotic reaction as a result of taking the drug and yet there is nothing on the drug information leaflet, that either highlights or mentions this possibility," Osborne said.

Osborne also emphasized that if she or her parents were aware of this possible side-effect of the medicine, her death could have been avoided. He also recommended that information sent out with the drug should be reviewed.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), U.K.’s regulatory body of medicines, said that it was gathering "further information."

Cutland’s family described her as a person who lit up every room she walked in to, and made people smile just by being there. "She grasped every opportunity that was offered to her with enthusiasm and a sense of adventure," they said in a tribute released through the Foreign Office.