(AmericanProsperity.com) – A pilot instructor was discovered to have died after his co-pilot believed he was just taking a nap, according to The Daily Caller. A February report from the British Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) explained that the fully qualified pilot had asked the instructor to fly with him as he gains his “currency requirements.”
Just before taking off from the Blackpool Airport in the single-engine Piper PA-28-261 aircraft, the instructor had said that the pilot was clear. The two then reportedly maintained a conversation before the pilot noticed his head roll back. He thought that the instructor had been pretending to take a nap even as his head rested on his shoulder during a turn.
But the situation dawned on him as the instructor stayed asleep after landing. After calling emergency services, attempts to revive the 57-year-old instructor were not successful.
An exam after his death found the cause to be an acute cardiac failure, also known as congestive heart failure. It reportedly “occurs when the heart muscle doesn’t pump blood as well as it should.” The report added that his arteries were clogged with fatty substances and blood clots.
The instructor was described as normal that day by those he interacted with. He reportedly flew with three other individuals who commented that “he seemed well.”
The instructor had routine electrocardiogram exams, according to The Western Journal. His previous aviation medical exam was reportedly four months before his fatal heart attack. He also had high blood pressure, elevated lipids, and was overweight.
The AAIB report stated that the post-mortem exam showed conditions that were disqualifying and wrote that the Civil Aviation Authority will further look into the incident to see if they could learn anything for the future.
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