American Airlines passenger dies as medical assisatance was ‘delayed’ on flight

A 62-year-old man named John William Cannon died after reportedly facing a major delay in getting medical help during an American Airlines flight. His son has now filed a wrongful death lawsuit over the incident. The events took place on April 28, 2023, starting with Mr. Cannon’s trip from Louisville International Airport to Durango, Colorado, with a connecting flight at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

During the first part of his trip on American Airlines flight 1444, Mr. Cannon passed out while getting off the plane in Dallas, per People. He was helped to the jet bridge floor but was then allowed to continue his journey to Durango on flight 4896, operated by Envoy Air, a regional airline partner of American Airlines, within about two minutes.

The lawsuit claims that even though Mr. Cannon showed clear signs of medical distress, including trouble breathing and periods of unconsciousness, the flight crew on American Airlines flight 4896 waited to call for medical help until after the plane landed, taxied to the gate, and all other passengers had gotten off.

American Airlines sued in death of father

According to the complaint, this delay happened despite Mr. Cannon’s worsening condition during the roughly two-hour flight. Emergency services were not called until 4:04 PM Mountain Time, even though the plane had landed at 3:47 PM, meaning there was a delay of at least 17 minutes based on flight records and the lawsuit. Mr. Cannon’s best friend, who was waiting at the airport to pick him up, saw all the passengers leave the plane before emergency responders arrived.

When emergency responders finally arrived, firefighters gave Mr. Cannon oxygen before taking him to Mercy Medical Center. However, during the ride to the hospital, Mr. Cannon’s heart rate slowed dangerously, a condition called sinus bradycardia, which then turned into a life-threatening ventricular fibrillation arrest.

Paramedics performed about ten minutes of chest compressions, gave him two doses of adrenaline (epinephrine), and used a defibrillator to try to restart his heart, but they were unable to save him. Mr. Cannon was declared dead at 1:29 AM the next morning.

His son, Kyle Cannon, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against American Airlines and Envoy Air, asking for more than $75,000 in damages for his father’s suffering, emotional distress, lost income, medical bills, and other losses before his death. The lawsuit accuses both airlines of negligence, saying they failed to provide proper first aid on the plane, did not prioritize Mr. Cannon’s condition when passengers were exiting, and delayed calling for medical help.

It also claims the airlines did not fulfill their duty of care, which directly led to Mr. Cannon’s death. American Airlines has stated that they are currently reviewing the complaint.

According to a 2023 estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, medical emergencies happen in about one out of every 604 flights. Federal Aviation Administration rules require airlines to keep sealed emergency medical kits on board, and flight attendants receive training in first aid and CPR.

Standard procedure during a medical emergency usually involves asking if a doctor is on the flight or contacting medical professionals on the ground for guidance. In this case, the lawsuit argues that the flight crew’s failure to act broke these standard rules and procedures.