A woman died after falling asleep on her mother's shoulder during a flight from the US to Heathrow, an inquest has heard. Rachel Green, 44, was travelling from Minneapolis to London on 30 April 2025 when she dozed off and could not be woken.
The attorney and writer from East Bethel, Minnesota, was en route to the UK to research a book on Eleanor of Aquitaine. Her mother and cabin crew raised the alarm when they were unable to rouse her during the seven-and-a-half-hour flight.
An inquest at West London Coroner's Court heard that Ms Green had multiple prescription drugs in her system and an undiagnosed cardiac condition. Pathologist Dr Alan Bates said her heart was normal except for myocardial tunnelling, where a coronary artery runs under the heart muscle. The combination of medications and the heart condition likely caused her death.
Senior Coroner Lydia Brown recorded a verdict of misadventure, stating: 'This lady simply died whilst on a flight. She was coming to our country to do some research... Instead, she did not even get off the plane without her mother and sister being bereaved.'
Ms Green's sister, Roxanne Carney, paid tribute, calling her 'a saint' and 'the best aunt in the world'. She questioned the number of prescription drugs her sister was on, noting an 'abnormal' heart test that was not investigated. The coroner said there was no evidence of drug misuse and that matters were handled differently in the US.
