History of the Flight
On 27 September 2017, Etihad Airways flight ETD 927, a scheduled cargo flight operated by a Boeing 777 freighter aircraft, departed Abu Dhabi International Airport, United Arab Emirates, for Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Netherlands. Onboard were two flight crewmembers, one loadmaster, and a corporate security officer. During cruise over international waters in Bahrain airspace, the Commander informed the Copilot that he would leave his seat to go to the galley. As he pulled out a meal tray from the galley, he collapsed in front of the security officer.
Emergency Response
Upon being informed that the Commander was incapacitated, the Copilot declared a MAYDAY and advised Bahrain air traffic control that the flight would divert to Kuwait International Airport. An overweight landing was conducted uneventfully, and the aircraft was stopped on the runway. Paramedics boarded and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the Commander for approximately 15 minutes, after which they declared that he had passed away.
Medical Information
The Commander had been well-rested when he began his duty. He had no known imminent medical condition and had passed his annual medical licensing renewal check one day prior to the flight. The Kuwait coroner later reported that the cause of death was cardiac arrest. The Commander had in his possession over-the-counter (OTC) medication, but no causal link between the medication and the incapacitation was established in the available information.
Aircraft and Crew
The aircraft was a Boeing B777-200LRF, registration A6-DDE, operated by Etihad Airways. No damage to the aircraft was reported, and no other persons were injured.
Post-Incident Actions
As a result of the incident, the Aeromedical Section of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) introduced initiatives to educate aeromedical examiners on blood lipid level management based on international medical standards. The Operator introduced CPR training for loadmasters and corporate security officers and amended the operations manual to include incapacitation procedures for freighter operations.