An 11-year-old girl traveling on a flight from Istanbul to New York died Sunday despite the efforts of a doctor onboard and emergency crews at the airport where the plane made an emergency landing.
The child lost consciousness during the flight, according to Budapest Airport, where the plane diverted. Turkish Airlines said in a statement that cabin crew requested help from any doctors on board while the captain changed course to land in Hungary. The girl’s identity has not been released.
A doctor tried to revive the girl by performing “heart massage,” the airline said. Emergency medical workers took over the efforts once the plane landed at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport. It was not clear what caused the medical emergency.
“Despite the rapid and professional intervention, unfortunately her life could not be saved,” the airport said in a statement. The girl’s family got off the plane in Budapest, and the flight ultimately continued to New York, where it landed more than four hours late.
“We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones and share their pain,” Turkish Airlines said in its statement.
Life-threatening medical emergencies in the air are rare, an aviation health expert told The Washington Post last month. He said less than 2 percent of medical events during flights are severe enough for a plane to be diverted. A study in 2013 found that medical problems — including fainting, breathing problems and nausea or vomiting — come up in 1 out of every 604 flights.
Andrea Sachs contributed to this report.
