United Airlines Passenger Dies After Medical Emergency On Long-Haul Flight

Published Oct 3, 2026, 4:16 PM EDT Journalist – Aaron is an aviation and travel journalist with 14 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. His background spans airport operations, aviation infrastructure, and travel consulting, having worked with global organizations across New Zealand, Europe, and North America. Combining industry expertise with firsthand travel experience across more than 52 countries and five continents, Aaron covers airlines, airports, aviation policy, and the wider travel sector. He is based in Canterbury, New Zealand. His work has been published in Simple Flying and featured by MSN, SAM CHUI Aviation & Travel, EIN News, Pakistan Defence, and Climate Depot. A 71-year-old male died onboard a United Airlines flight from Japan to the United States this week, forcing the Boeing 787-9 aircraft to be diverted to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). The incident occurred on Tuesday, September 29, aboard UA flight 142. In a report by People, the male passenger experienced a medical emergency during the trans-Pacific flight, and while medical personnel met the aircraft upon arrival in Seattle, the individual was pronounced dead. The flight, a nonstop service from Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT) to Denver International Airport (DEN), was on the ground in Seattle for just over two hours before the aircraft was cleared to continue to Colorado. The deceased passenger's cause of death was listed as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (high blood pressure and narrowed, hardened arteries that put extra strain on your heart and blood vessels). United Airlines Flight UA142 Diverted To Seattle For A Medical Emergency Credit: Tada Images | Shutterstock Using data from Simple Flying's Flight Tracker, on Tuesday, UA142 departed from Narita at 4:38 PM, eight minutes behind the scheduled departure time of 4:30 PM. The flight was expected to travel 5,787 miles (9,314 km) nonstop until the male passenger experienced a medical event onboard. As a result, the aircraft diverted to Seattle, touching down eight hours and 22 minutes after initial departure from Japan. The aircraft was met by medical personnel as it arrived at 9:00 AM local time; however, after being assessed by the medical crew, the traveler was pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger, known as Mr Felmo M. Penola, and his body were turned over to the King County Medical Examiner in Washington State. After formalities were completed, the United jet continued to Denver, departing from Seattle at 11:10 AM and arriving in Denver three hours and two minutes later at 3:12 PM. Deaths Onboard An Aircraft Are More Common Than You Might Think Credit: Vytautas Kielaitis | Shutterstock Commercial airlines follow strict protocols that have been established by aviation authorities when a death occurs onboard. Crew are trained to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), or use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) where required. If CPR is performed for more than 30 minutes with no sign of life, the crew are permitted to formally halt resuscitation. The details of Mr Penola remain unclear. If the death has occurred mid-flight, the crew can move the body to a location that maintains dignity and would minimize exposure to other passengers. Should the flight be full, the passenger is to remain in their seat, covered with a blanket up to the neck. Due to the medical emergency onboard this United flight, the captain made the evaluation to divert the aircraft based on a case-by-case evaluation. Earlier this year, a 22-year-old passenger passed away on a Southwest Airlines flight to Los Angeles after experiencing a medical emergency onboard, and was pronounced dead upon arrival. Aircraft Details: N24980 Credit: Phuong D. Nguyen | Shutterstock The aircraft at the centre of this latest medical emergency was a United 787-9 that was first delivered to the airline in August of 2020. The plane is fitted with two Genx-1B engines and is one of more than 60 787-9 variants. United has a combined fleet of more than 1,140 aircraft, making it the largest airline by fleet size in the world. Further details of the plane that operated UA142 are below, as per data from ch-aviation: Aircraft Registration N24980 Serial Number (MSN) 66138 Type Boeing 787-9 First Flight Date June 30, 2020 Delivery Date August 1, 2020 Hex Code A254F7 Seating Configuration 48 United Polaris (Business Class) 21 United Premium Plus 188 Economy Class Following the jet's eventual arrival in Denver, the plane remained on the apron overnight before operating a nonstop flight from Denver to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) as UA262 on the evening of September 30. It then returned to Denver the following day and has continued in regular service since. Simple Flying extends its condolences to the friends and family of Mr Penola during this difficult time.