If you're a medical professional onboard a flight, it has probably crossed your mind that you might be called to assist should a health emergency break out. On the other hand, for regular passengers, it probably has never crossed your mind that you may be sitting next to a corpse should someone unfortunately pass away while flying.
According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, one in every 600 flights will experience a medical issue while skyward. And while this is typically something along the lines of fainting, respiratory problems, heart trouble, nausea or vomiting - in 0.3 per cent of cases, said emergency will result in a death.
Contrary to what you may expect, the pilot is not actually obligated to make an emergency landing should a death occur in flight. Besides the requirement to report the incident in the correct manner, there are no hard-or-face regulations which a pilot and crew need to adhere to in said cases, The Mirror reports.
