Lufthansa passenger dies mid-air by coughing blood as officials opt to fly despite worsening conditions

A 63-year-old man has died after experiencing a medical emergency onboard Lufthansa flight LH773 from Bangkok to Munich. 

Reports indicate that the man coughed up blood during the flight.

According to a report by the Independent, the flight scheduled to depart Bangkok for Munich at 11:40 pm on Thursday, February 8, had to return to the airport after approximately 90 minutes in the air due to the passenger's condition.

Despite efforts to assist him, the German national did not survive.

According to an account from a fellow passenger, the man experienced significant bleeding from both his mouth and nose, resulting in the loss of litres of blood.

Also Read: Munich-Bangkok Lufthansa flight diverted to Delhi after husband, wife fight onboard

“It was absolute horror, everyone was screaming,” said Karin Missfelder, who was situated in the row diagonally behind the passenger.

Missfelder, a nursing specialist at the University Hospital in Zurich, promptly observed the deteriorating health of her fellow passenger upon entering the vehicle.

“He had cold sweats, was breathing much too quickly, and was already apathetic,” she told Swiss news outlet Blick, adding, "The man’s Filipina wife explained that the pair had run to the plane very quickly, which is why he wasn’t feeling well."

Also Read: After Go First, Lufthansa cites issue with Pratt & Whitney engine, grounds third of A220 fleet

“They then gave him a little chamomile tea, but he [had] already spit blood into the bag that his wife held out to him,” she said.

Despite the worsening circumstances, airport officials opted to proceed with departure. As the plane took off, the man's condition deteriorated drastically, resulting in significant bleeding from his mouth and nose. Missfelder remarked, “The man lost large amounts of blood.”

Also Read: Lufthansa Airlines CEO Jens Ritter works as an ‘additional crew member’ on flight says ‘Sometimes you need to…’

Flight attendants initiated resuscitation efforts, but unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. The man was then brought into the galley, and a choice was made to turn the aircraft back to Bangkok. The captain announced the passenger's death, the Independent reported.

A spokesperson from Lufthansa, in a statement to the Independent, verified that “a medical emergency” had taken place during the flight.

The statement read, “Although immediate and comprehensive first aid measures were taken by the crew and a doctor on board, the passenger died during the flight.

Also Read: Lufthansa 'IT system failure’ leads to cancelled, delayed flights; chaos ensues. Video

“After 1.5 hours of flight time, the crew decided to turn back to Bangkok, where the aircraft landed normally and safely. There, the instructions of the medical emergency services and the Thai authorities were followed.

“The passengers on the cancelled flight have since been rebooked on other flights. Our thoughts are with the relatives of the deceased passenger. We also regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers of this flight,” it added.