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What started as a routine long-haul flight quickly turned into a surreal experience for one couple, leaving them seated beside a deceased passenger for hours at 39,000 feet.
An Australian couple’s long-awaited trip to Venice took an unexpected and distressing turn when they were asked to sit next to a deceased passenger for the final four hours of their flight from Melbourne to Doha.
Mitchell Ring and his wife, Jennifer Colin, were on board the Qatar Airways flight when a female passenger collapsed after exiting the bathroom. Flight attendants attempted to save the woman, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
According to Ring, the cabin crew initially tried to relocate the deceased passenger to the business class section using a wheelchair. However, the woman’s size made it difficult to move her through the narrow aisle.
After assessing the seating options available, the flight crew placed the body in the same row where Ring and Colin had been sitting — occupying the very seat where Ring had been moments before.
“They looked a bit frustrated, then they just looked at me and saw seats were available beside me, my wife was on the other side, we were in a row of four,” Ring explained. “They said, ‘Can you move over please?’ and I just said, ‘Yes, no problem.’ Then they placed the lady in the chair I was in.”
Although there were other open seats nearby, the couple said they were not offered the chance to relocate to a different section. Instead, a passenger sitting behind them voluntarily offered Colin an empty seat, which she accepted.
Colin described the ordeal as shocking, adding that she is already a nervous flyer under normal circumstances. “I’m not a great flyer at the best of times,” she admitted.
For the remaining four hours of the flight, Ring was seated directly next to the covered body. After the plane landed, flight attendants instructed him to remain in his seat while medical personnel removed the blankets covering the deceased passenger.
“I can’t believe they told us to stay … it wasn’t nice,” Ring said. The couple also claimed they received no follow-up support from Qatar Airways after the incident.
The airline later released a statement saying, “The safety and comfort of all our passengers is of paramount importance to us. Our thoughts are with the family members of the passenger who sadly passed away.”
However, a spokesperson for the airline declined to confirm whether the couple had been offered any form of compensation.
Protocols for handling in-flight deaths are governed by guidelines from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
According to these guidelines, flight crews are instructed to inform the captain, who will notify airport authorities at the destination so they can prepare for the aircraft’s arrival.
The deceased passenger is typically moved to a seat away from most other travelers, as long as space permits. If no such seat is available, the body may remain in its original seat or be moved to one that does not block an aisle or exit.
Bodies are secured with seatbelts and, if a body bag is unavailable, they are covered with a blanket. Flight attendants are also advised to close the eyes of the deceased.
Aviation experts explain that securing a body in a seat is considered the safest option. “You cannot leave it on the floor,” said José Alvarado, a pilot for the airline Play, explaining that turbulence could result in the body becoming a hazard to other passengers.
The pilot added that in the event of a medical emergency, flight crews have access to medical professionals via satellite communication for assistance.
However, if all life-saving measures fail, most pilots will choose to continue the flight to its scheduled destination rather than divert.
In-flight deaths remain rare occurrences. Research published in 2013 found that there is approximately one medical emergency for every 604 flights. Of the more than 10,000 medical events studied, only 0.3 percent resulted in a passenger dying onboard.
Despite the traumatic experience, Colin expressed her determination to salvage what was meant to be a special vacation. “I’m trying to make the best of a pretty hard situation, but, you know, we’re on holidays so we’re really trying to have a good time,” she said.
The couple’s unsettling experience highlights the unexpected challenges that can arise mid-flight — and they are not alone. Just days earlier, passengers on a Delta flight departing from Atlanta faced a frightening emergency when smoke filled the cabin shortly after takeoff on February 24, 2025.
Delta Air Lines Flight 876, carrying 99 people, was headed toward Columbia, South Carolina, when a haze spread inside the aircraft.
The crew quickly turned back to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and safely landed the plane around 9 a.m. Passengers captured videos showing smoke drifting through the cabin. Luckily no injuries occurred.
As reported by USA Today, a spokesperson for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport said the plane conducted “an air-return after departure” and confirmed that Atlanta Fire Rescue assisted in deplaning all passengers and crew.
The airport added that airfield operations remained normal throughout the incident.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) later confirmed that the crew had reported “possible smoke in the flightdeck [sic].” The aircraft, a 26-year-old Boeing 717, had originally been bound for Columbia Metropolitan Airport.
Delta, addressing the incident, stated that the crew followed all safety protocols. “The flight crew followed procedures to return to Atlanta when a haze inside the aircraft was observed after departure,” a Delta spokesperson told USA Today.
The Boeing 717, which departed Atlanta around 8:30 a.m., carried 94 passengers, two pilots, and three flight attendants. After landing, two passengers were treated by Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and later released.
Delta arranged ground transportation and rebooked passengers on alternative flights, with a continuation flight to Columbia completed on another aircraft.
Passenger Kevin McKinney, who captured video of the midair scare, recounted the frantic evacuation. “Once we landed, you know, we were being told to keep our heads down, breathe through our clothes,” he recalled. “The pilot came on and announced, evacuate the plane immediately, and it was chaos.”
Reflecting on the experience, McKinney added, “I’ve never had to evacuate a plane before, and it seems like this is becoming more of an issue lately. You know, maybe some of these older planes need to be retired and get some new wings in the air.”
Delta later reiterated its commitment to its passengers and crew, “Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, and we apologize to our customers for the experience,” Delta added. The FAA announced plans to investigate the incident.
The inflight smoke incident is the latest for Delta, following a separate crash on February 17, 2025.
Delta Air Lines Flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air, took off from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and later crashed while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport around 2:45 p.m. local time. The aircraft, carrying 80 people, overturned upon impact.
Footage from the scene captured the chaos. Passengers climbed through emergency exits as others helped them to safety. Inside, seats were displaced, and a flight attendant guided people through the wreckage.
The plane’s fuselage was torn open, with debris scattered across the snow-covered ground. Smoke was seen bursting from the aircraft as people rushed to escape.
The FAA said emergency crews responded quickly, evacuating all passengers and crew members.
In a statement shared on X, formerly Twitter, Delta confirmed the crash and reported that 18 passengers sustained injuries and were transported to local hospitals. No fatalities were reported.
The airline stated that its primary focus was assisting those affected and had activated a Passenger Inquiry Center for families seeking information. It provided contact numbers for inquiries in Canada and the United States.
“In Canada, these individuals may reach out via 1-866-629-4775. In the United States, they may connect using 1-800-997-5454,” the statement read.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed concern for those involved, “The hearts of the entire global Delta family are with those affected by today’s incident at Toronto-Pearson International Airport.” He also thanked first responders and Delta staff assisting at the scene.
The flight was carrying 76 passengers and four crew members. Following the crash, Delta canceled all flights to and from Toronto Pearson for the remainder of the evening and issued a travel waiver for impacted passengers. The airline urged customers to check their flight status through the Fly Delta app.
Endeavor Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines based in Minneapolis, operated the aircraft. Delta pledged to provide further updates as the investigation unfolded.
As details of the incident emerged, an air traffic control audio, shared by CP24, captured the moments after the crash. In the recording, a controller asked, “Where’s the crash?” The response confirmed it came down on Runway 23R near Runway 15L.
A recording from a nearby medevac helicopter captured its crew communicating with air traffic control after the Delta Air Lines crash. A pilot reported seeing people around the aircraft. The audio also confirmed the plane was “upside down and burning.”
As investigators worked to determine the cause, the CEO of aviation safety consulting firm Safety Operating Systems John Cox emphasized how rare such incidents are.
“It’s very rare to see something like this,” he said. He noted that while there have been a few cases of airplanes overturning during takeoff, such events remain uncommon.
Cox, a former U.S. Air pilot with 25 years of experience and a background in National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigations, emphasized the CRJ-900’s reliability. He noted that the aircraft had been in service for decades and was built to handle challenging weather conditions.
While acknowledging the windy conditions, the veteran pilot explained that the aircraft had been “designed and certified” to operate safely in such environments. He added, “The pilots are trained and experienced to handle that.”
Meanwhile, the FAA stated that the Transportation Safety Board of Canada is leading the investigation and will provide updates. The U.S. NTSB will reportedly send a team to assist in the Canadian investigation.
According to AP, the last major crash at Toronto Pearson International Airport occurred on August 2, 2005, when an Air France Airbus A340 from Paris skidded off the runway in stormy weather and caught fire. All 309 passengers and crew survived.
