In a tragic incident, an IndiGo pilot passed away minutes before operating a flight on Thursday in Nagpur. The pilot was to operate Pune bound flight 6E 135 and was at the boarding gate when he collapsed and died on the way to the hospital, airport officials informed.
Airport director Abid Ruhi identified the deceased pilot as 40-year-old Manoj Subramanium. He was taken to KIMS-Kingsway Hospital, where he was declared dead upon arrival, said Ruhi.
Aejaz Shami, the spokesperson of the hospital, said that the prima facie it looks like the pilot lost his life due to “sudden cardiac arrest”.
“We are saddened at the passing of one of our pilots in Nagpur earlier today. He took unwell at Nagpur airport and was rushed to the hospital where he unfortunately passed away. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones,” the airline spokesperson said.
“The pilot was to operate his first flight for the day when he collapsed,” said another official known of the incident.
“The pilot had 27 hours of rest and was to operate four sectors today, including the Nagpur- Pune sector, which would have been his first for the day,” the official added.
{{/usCountry}}“The pilot had 27 hours of rest and was to operate four sectors today, including the Nagpur- Pune sector, which would have been his first for the day,” the official added.
{{/usCountry}}“The pilot had operated two sectors on Wednesday,” said an official from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said.
This is the second known case in the last two days. On Wednesday, a senior pilot operating a B777 aircraft died while he was flying as a passenger from Delhi to Doha. The pilot who had operated SpiceJet’s inaugural flight in 2003 was working with Qatar Airways.
The pilot, who had also worked with Alliance Air, fell ill on board after which the Qatar Airways flight had to be diverted to Dubai. He, however, could be saved.