Sensation prevailed at the Nagpur Airport when a 40-year-old IndiGo pilot collapsed moments before taking off. Captain Manoj Subramanyam fell unconscious in the security hold area near a boarding gate around noon on Thursday.
Captain Subramanyam was going to operate IndiGo’s Nagpur-Pune flight. The pilot was rushed to the hospital where he was declared brought dead.
Prima facie, he died of “cardiac arrest following the sudden unexpected loss of heart function”, said KIMS-Kingsway Hospital. The hospital emergency team administered him CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) but he did not respond, said Aejaz Shami, spokesperson of the hospital.
In a statement, IndiGo said, “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.”
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) sources the pilot had operated two sectors, from Trivandrum To Nagpur Via Pune, between 3 am and 7 am yesterday. He was supposed to fly four sectors today.
This comes a day after a Qatar Airways pilot died while flying a Delhi-bound flight from Doha. The flight QR 579 was diverted to Dubai following a medical emergency.
(With inputs from PTI)
Published: