A 33-year-old woman died on a Korean Air flight after cabin crew failed to attach an oxygen mask to the tank, according to a lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Porscha Tynisha Brown, a civilian employee of the US Department of Defense, was travelling from Washington Dulles to Seoul on 29 March 2024 when she collapsed and struggled to breathe. Flight attendants provided an oxygen mask, but it was not connected to the oxygen supply, leaving Brown gasping for air until she lost consciousness.
The lawsuit alleges that crew members “alternated between panicking, observing and taking notes” and did not take charge of the situation or provide instructions to passengers who tried to help. The pilot diverted to Japan, where Brown was pronounced dead. Only after landing did her travel companions learn the mask had not been plugged into the tank.
Attorney Hannah Crowe, representing Brown’s estate, said the airline’s failure to follow protocols was tragic. “She was a really remarkable young woman,” Crowe told The Independent. Co-counsel Darren Nicholson added that the violations “shock the conscience.”
Korean Air said in a statement: “Korean Air will fully respond to and participate in the legal proceeding but as there now is pending litigation, it would be inappropriate for Korean Air to make any further statement.”
