Korean Air vows faithful response to US lawsuit over in-flight death

Korean Air passenger jets are parked at Incheon International Airport, Wednesday. Yonhap

Korean Air said Friday it will faithfully respond to legal procedures in the United States, where a lawsuit was filed in Virginia on behalf of the estate of Porscha Tynisha Brown, who died at age 33 in March 2024 during a flight from Washington to Incheon operated by the airline.

Burns Charest, the law firm representing the complainants, claimed her death resulted from a series of critical failures by Korean Air flight personnel.

According to the complaint, Brown experienced sudden respiratory distress about 12 hours into the flight, telling her traveling companions and crew members, "I can't breathe," before collapsing.

"Although flight attendants provided what they claimed to be an oxygen mask, after the flight, eyewitnesses discovered the mask was never connected to an oxygen supply, leaving Ms. Brown without the life-saving oxygen she urgently needed," the complaint reads.

The law firm said flight personnel stood by and watched as untrained passengers were unable to operate the machine, even after the aircraft's automated external defibrillator indicated that a shock was necessary to revive her.

"The flight crew failed to promptly notify the cockpit of the severity of the emergency, delaying a diversion to the nearest airport," it added. "The aircraft ultimately made an emergency landing in Osaka, Japan, where Ms. Brown was pronounced dead on arrival."

Korean Air declined to confirm further details about the case, citing the pending litigation.

Burns Charest did not specify the amount of damages sought in its press release, but the lawsuit seeks compensation for wrongful death, including Brown’s pain and suffering, lost future earnings and the profound loss experienced by her family, which includes her parents, brother and two young nephews.

"Ms. Brown was a highly accomplished and respected professional, working as a safety specialist for the U.S. Department of Defense," the law firm said.

"Just four days before her death, she received an award for excellence from her command at Fort Belvoir. The honor was later renamed in her memory."