Man Dies on Flight: 81-Year-Old Man Passes Away on Allegiant Flight to Arizona

A man died on a flight on Thursday. The 81-year-old man passed away in the middle of a flight to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.

According to Mesa police, the man that died was Richard L. Nootz. He suffered from a medical emergency and passed away on Allegiant Flight 115. The A319 plane left from Grand Isle, NE, Allegiant spokesman Justin Ralenkotter told KPHO.

According to Ralenkotter, the flight crew declared a medical emergency as the flight approached Mesa. Another person on the flight performed CPR on the man. Paramedics were standing by when the flight pulled into the gate after noon on Thursday. The paramedics boarded the plane to treat Nootz, but he was pronounced dead.

The plane was delayed for about an hour and a half as the medical examiner had to release the aircraft back into service. Passengers boarded the plane at 1:45 p.m. and took off for St. Cloud MN about half an hour later.

The medical examiner will determine what caused Nootz to pass away.

This isn't the first time someone passed away on a plane. In-flight deaths are common. Earlier this month, a teenager died on a Delta flight that was heading to Atlanta. In November, an 82-year-old man died on an Asiana Airlines flight to Chicago. In September, a Nigerian man died on a United Airlines flight to Houston.