Industry insiders at Nanjing Lukou International Airport have been left scratching their heads as to how a pilot at the top of his game could possibly die after becoming incapacitated while operating a regular flight earlier this week from Nanjing to Chengdu.
Nothing was amiss as Tibetan Airlines flight TV0820 departed Nanjing as normal this past Monday, 21 December, just 12 minutes later than scheduled, at 22:07.
Enroute, the captain of the aircraft, 39 and at present unnamed, become unwell and was subsequently incapacitated.
The co-pilot took over control of the aircraft, an Airbus A319-115, registration B-6480, and accelerated the flight’s arrival, touching down at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport some 35 minutes ahead of schedule at 00:25 on Tuesday, 22 December.
Upon arrival, the pilot was rushed to hospital but pronounced dead soon thereafter. He had also been a flight instructor for the airline.
When initially approached by Chinese media, Tibetan Airlines claimed to know nothing about the incident.
ChinaNews has reported an anonymous Tibetan Airlines employee as saying the pilot had, “outstanding flight skills, experience and attitude”. The same source also said, “He was a very good colleague. [His death] was too sudden. I still don’t want to believe this is true”.
Other sources at the airline have said that the pilot had been one of the best they had.
A Nanjing Lukou International Airport employee spoke with The Nanjinger, saying, “We have no idea how a pilot, normally robust and self-disciplined, should die at such a young age, out of the blue”.
While it is very rare for a perfectly healthy and trained professional to die so suddenly, the incident also highlights the fact that flying remains an enormously safe way to travel, thanks in large to the rigorous checks and procedures which are in place at airlines and airports across the globe for exactly this kind of unexpected eventuality.
