The daughter of an 89-year-old Vietnam veteran who died after suffering a stroke on a JetBlue flight has spoken out, alleging the crew ignored the medical emergency. John Allen Fletcher was on flight 321 from Boston to Palm Beach International Airport in April 2025 when he collapsed back into his seat after standing up to retrieve his carry-on bag.
According to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by his daughter Diane Anacabe in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, Fletcher exhibited classic stroke symptoms—including impaired speech, balance, and vision—while remaining immobilized in full view of the crew. The suit claims the crew allowed other passengers to deplane without assisting Fletcher, who was wearing a MedicAlert necklace with his daughter's contact information.
Instead of calling for medical help, the crew requested a non-emergency wheelchair attendant to remove Fletcher from the plane. When Anacabe, a registered nurse, saw her father slumped over at baggage claim, she shouted for someone to call 911, but the attendant allegedly replied, 'Ma'am, I'm not allowed to do that.'
It took another hour before Fletcher saw a doctor; he died less than two weeks later. Anacabe's treating physician stated that timely intervention would have saved his life. 'I couldn't believe what I was witnessing,' Anacabe told The Independent. 'Are they heartless?'
JetBlue did not respond to a request for comment but previously stated, 'We take the health and safety of our customers and crewmembers very seriously.' Fletcher, a former U.S. Air Force officer and Pratt and Whitney engineer, had been in good health and lived independently before the flight.
