INCIDENT: Aeroflot pilot dies after emergency landing

An Aeroflot flight had to request an emergency landing after its co-pilot reported feeling sick. The man died shortly after landing.

On November 24, 2019, the Airbus A320,  registered VP-BLH, was about halfway through flight SU1546 from Moscow-Sheremetyevo (SVO) towards Anapa Airport (AAQ), Russia, when the co-pilot requested an emergency landing due to his degrading health condition.

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While the plane was approaching Platov International Airport (ROV), the condition worsened sharply and he lost consciousness. Flight attendants provided him with first aid. However, the pilot was unresponsive by the time the plane landed. He was pronounced dead by the medical crew on the ground.

No other injuries were reported. The crew was replaced and the plane arrived in Anapa with a three-hour delay. 

“Preliminary examination determined that he suffered a pulmonary embolism,” a source told Interfax. The Russian Investigative Committee has launched an inquiry. “There were no contraindications to the flight of the second pilot,” the press service of Aeroflot informed RBC. The 49-year-old man had successfully passed a medical examination in December 2018 and June 2019.