Investigation Summary
The incident occurred during the taxi phase as the flight prepared for departure to Philadelphia. The Captain had successfully taxied the Boeing 757 to the runway hold line and engaged the parking brakes while awaiting final takeoff clearance. While in this stationary position, the First Officer observed the Captain slump over and heard him making a gurgling noise, indicating immediate medical distress. A physician traveling as a passenger and a member of the cabin crew performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the flight deck. The aircraft remained safely on the ground throughout the medical emergency. Toxicology tests were performed as part of the investigation, and the NTSB determined the cause of death was a cardiovascular incapacitation.
Final Conclusions
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of the incident to be a fatal heart attack suffered by the Captain. The investigation noted the Captain held a valid Class 1 medical certificate with waivers/limitations at the time of the event.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Suffered fatal cardiovascular incapacitation.
Systems & Failure Modes
Flight Crew Medical Certification
The Captain held a Class 1 medical certificate, which was last renewed on December 6, 1991, approximately five months before the incident.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was stationary with the engines operating and brakes set at the time of the incident.
- 02The Captain was 58 years old and had 16,749 total flight hours.
- 03A physician passenger assisted in the emergency medical response on the flight deck.
- 04The aircraft sustained no damage and there were no injuries to the 55 passengers or the other 6 crew members (1 First Officer and 5 Flight Attendants).
Safety Actions & Advisories
Medical Certification Oversight
The NTSB investigation highlighted that the Captain had a known history of cardiovascular issues, including a previous myocardial infarction in 1983, but had been granted a Class 1 medical certificate with waivers. The case reinforced the importance of rigorous follow-up evaluations for pilots returning to flight duty under special issuance medical certificates.
Location
NO VERIFIED COORDINATES · Coordinates are the estimate published in the ntsb final report. No map is shown, because a marker here would imply a precision the record does not have.
Reported location: Denver, Colorado, United States