Legal Question in Aviation Law in Florida

Friend's Husband Dies on Airplane~Widow Can't Get Any Info of Her Husband's Last

A friend of mine whose husband died on a flight from LAX to Orlando, FL. wonders what were her husband's last few hours of life? Did he fall asleep and die in his sleep, was there any trauma, was he conscious, did he ask for her?..etc. She's contacted the airline twice. Through the PR Dept & the President's Ofc. They'll give her no info at all. She knows there must've been an incident report detailing the last moments of her husband's life, and any efforts that were made on his behalf.

She's requested and received a report from the ambulance that met the airplane in Orlando. It doesn't indicate whether he was alive at that time and died en route, or was he already gone when they started to revive him? The report does say they started reviving procedures...but that is all she knows.

She has contacted the FAA and they told her that the airline doesn't have to tell her anything.

This is still nagging her and keeping her from moving on in her greiving process. Can anyone shed some light or give her some direction on what she can do to get the information contained in the airline's incident report? Can she find out who the passenger was seated next to her husband and ask them what happened?

Thank you.


Asked on 2/29/04, 12:26 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Charles Aspinwall Charles S. Aspinwall, J.D., LLC

Re: Friend's Husband Dies on Airplane~Widow Can't Get Any Info of Her Husband's

The Federal Aviation Administration of the federal government investigates all airplane crashes and issues a report, eventually, detailing their findings as to cause, conditions, etc. Some of the information you seek may be available through the FAA's official report of the incident.

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Answered on 2/29/04, 12:42 pm


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