AFTER THE B727 WAS DEPLANED AT THE ARR GATE; A FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIES THE FO THAT A PAX IS THOUGHT TO BE DEAD. PARAMEDICS CONFIRM THE PAX'S CONDITION. CAPT NOTIFIES COMPANY AND THE ACFT IS THEN FLOWN OUT EMPTY ON A REPOSITIONING FLT. FAA TELLS DISPATCHER LATER THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED WITH THE ACFT'S DEP SINCE CREW HAD NOT CALLED THE FAA.

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AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE AND COMPLETING THE PARKING CHKLIST; THE CAPT DEPLANED THE ACFT. THE SO AND I REMAINED ON BOARD TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE PAX. AS THE LAST FEW PEOPLE WERE LEAVING; A FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED US THAT A PAX THOUGHT HER HUSBAND HAD DIED. THE PARAMEDICS WERE CALLED AND THEY PRONOUNCED THE ELDERLY GENTLEMAN DEAD ON THE ACFT; MOST LIKELY FROM HEART FAILURE. THE LCL POLICE WERE CALLED AS WAS THE CORONER TO REMOVE THE BODY. THE CAPT FOLLOWED COMPANY PROC IN IMMEDIATELY NOTIFYING THE COMPANY AND FOLLOWING UP WITH A WRITTEN RPT WITHIN 48 HRS. AFTER THE ACFT WAS CLEANED AND SVCED; WE DEPARTED EMPTY TO DEN. A DISPATCHER CALLED THE CAPT THE FOLLOWING DAY AND ADVISED THAT THE FAA WAS CONCERNED THAT WE HAD DEPARTED WITHOUT NOTIFYING THEM. OUR FLT MANUAL DESCRIBES NO SIT WHERE THE CREWS THEMSELVES NOTIFY THE FAA OR NTSB. IT IS POLICY FOR THE COMPANY TO PERFORM THIS TASK AFTER RECEIVING IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION FROM THE FLC (CAPT). IT WOULD SEEM PRUDENT; HOWEVER; THAT THE CAPT CONFIRM THAT THE CALLS HAVE BEEN MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FARS. PERHAPS THE FAA SHOULD TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE WORDING AND GUIDANCE OFFERED IN INDIVIDUAL AIRLINE OPERATING HANDBOOKS.