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Korean Air Sued Over Alleged In-Flight Failures in Passenger’s Death

The filing spotlights questions about crew preparedness during medical crises.

Overview

  • Brown’s estate filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, and news outlets report Korean Air has not responded to requests for comment.
  • The complaint says attendants put an oxygen mask on Porscha Tynisha Brown but never connected it to a tank, so she received no supplemental oxygen.
  • It alleges the crew brought an automated external defibrillator but gave no guidance to volunteers using it, and no shock was delivered.
  • During a Dulles-to-Seoul trip in March 2024, about 12 hours into the flight, the plane diverted to Osaka, where the 33-year-old Department of Defense civilian was pronounced dead with “acute cardiac failure” listed on her death certificate.
  • The estate seeks a jury trial and damages, and the case could increase scrutiny of airline medical training, equipment use, and diversion decisions on long international flights.