Approximately 1.5 to 2 billion passengers fly on the world's
civil aircraft each year. As the population ages, the number of air
travellers increases and longer routes are flown by bigger
aircraft, the number of medical events involving passengers is
anticipated to increase.
The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence,
nature, type and extent of medical problems and injuries occurring
in passengers on board civil registered aircraft. The aim, in
particular, was to determine the most common in-flight medical
problems in passengers, and what proportion of these events result
in an aircraft diversion.
A search of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's accident
and incident database was conducted for medical conditions and
injuries in passengers between 1 January 1975 and 31 March 2006.
There were 284 passenger medical events and injuries (defined as 15
accidents, one serious incident and 268 incidents). These events
accounted for only 0.18 of a percentage point of all the
occurrences listed on the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's
database. In-flight deaths accounted for only 3 per cent of the
total passenger injury events.
The most common cause of in-flight death, at 44 per cent, was
heart attack. Serious injuries accounted for slightly more than a
third of reported occurrences. Minor injuries accounted for the
majority of cases, at 53 per cent. The most common medical event in
passengers was minor musculoskeletal injury (26 per cent of cases).
Ninety-five flights were diverted (33 per cent). Of the known
medical conditions, heart attack was the most common reason for an
aircraft diversion (33 cases out of 95), followed by a fitting
episode (in six cases).
The results of this study are consistent with other published
international experience. There is a low risk of passengers
sustaining either an injury or a medical event as a consequence of
travel on a civil aircraft.