Lawsuit: Passenger Found in Jet Bathroom

[Hatu]

Lawsuit Claims Dead Airplane Passenger's Body Not Found Until Hours After Jet Landed


INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- An airline passenger died in the restroom during a flight and wasn't found until the cleaning crew boarded the plane after it landed, a federal lawsuit contends.
The passenger, Taisuke Matsuo, 66, apparently had a heart attack on an American Airlines flight from Tokyo to Chicago during the first leg of a trip home to Indianapolis, according to the lawsuit filed Monday by his wife, Carolyn D. Watts.

The lawsuit accuses American Airlines of negligence and seeks damages of about $150,000.

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070412/airline_death.html?.v=1

 

[Garfield1966]

Seems to me that it would be more of a security issue than anything else. Had the plane not come from an international destination, it could have gone unnoticed till after departure and then you have an unknown person on an aircraft at 35,000 feet.

It's a shame the man died but whether the body was discovered at landing or a few hours later does not merit $150k in damages. Sad part it will be cheaper to settle with the ambulance chaser than to fight it.

Are there any procedures in place to check the aircraft before deplaning? Last one out turn off the lights?

 

[Wretched Wrench]

Is this new, or is it an old story that surfaced?

 

[eolesen]

It looked new to me.

Garfield, when I started out as an agent, we had to do a sniff check on the aircraft after arrival if the crew wasn't remaining onboard, mainly to check for any smoldering butts in the ashtrays, including the lavs. Even after smoking was banned, we still did the walk-thrus out of habit, but I'm not sure they do it anymore.

I'm more curious as to why the FA's didn't check the lav prior to landing, or prior to deplaning...

 

[Hatu]

Is this new, or is it an old story that surfaced?

Story is old, lawsuit filed is new.

It looked new to me.

Garfield, when I started out as an agent, we had to do a sniff check on the aircraft after arrival if the crew wasn't remaining onboard, mainly to check for any smoldering butts in the ashtrays, including the lavs. Even after smoking was banned, we still did the walk-thrus out of habit, but I'm not sure they do it anymore.

I'm more curious as to why the FA's didn't check the lav prior to landing, or prior to deplaning...

Because of this incident flight attendants are now required to do lavatory body checks before deplaning.

 

[Garfield1966]

I was told by someone here who used to be a FA that even prior to 9/11 it was the Purser/crew job to open all the bins (make sure nothing was left behind) and check the laves prior to leaving the A/C. He stated that is part of what the 30 min debrief period is for.

Has this policy changed?