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FATALITIES
During the year nine deaths from natural causes were recorded at London Airport. In five
cases, death occurred during the flight; and in three instances the passengers were pre-booked
invalids, hospital arrangements having previously been made for them in the United Kingdom. Two
of the three were young children with congenital heart conditions, whilst the third was a seaman
suffering from a sub-arachnoid haemorrhage. The remaining two passengers, both women and both
71 years of age, died suddenly during flight of coronary disease, one in July and the other in
September.
Of the four, who died at London Airport itself, one man collapsed on the airside gallery at the
top of the ramp in the Europa Building. He had been feeling unwell the previous day in Gibraltar,
where he had had an x-ray of his heart. The second was a Greek passenger, outgoing to Athens,
who died in the Departure Lounge of the Europa Building. The third, a woman of 70 years,
collapsed at the ticket desk in the Britannic Building and died whilst being brought to the sick
bay. The fourth was a visitor to the airport who died during the course of a meal in the Queen's
Building, probably due to a coronary thrombosis.
Thirty-six passengers and crew were killed in the disaster at the airport which occurred on
October 27th, involving the B.E.A. Vanguard.
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