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COURTESY HAWAIIAN AIRLINES
This undated photo from Hawaiian Airlines shows flight attendant Emile Griffith, who had worked for the airline for 31 years. He died Thursday night of an apparent heart attack on a Honolulu-to-New York flight that was diverted to San Francisco.
COURTESY HAWAIIAN AIRLINES
Hawaiian Airlines employees set up a memorial today to Emile Griffith, who died Thursday night of an apparent heart attack while working as a flight attendant.
A Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu to New York was diverted to San Francisco on Thursday night after a flight attendant died of an apparent heart attack.
The flight attendant was identified today as Emile Griffith, 60, who had worked with Hawaiian Airlines for 31 years.
Ann Botticelli, senior vice president of corporate communications at Hawaiian Airlines, said Griffith died while working on Flight 50 bound for New York.
“We are forever grateful for Emile’s colleagues and good Samaritans on board who stayed by his side and provided extensive medical help. Emile both loved and treasured his job at Hawaiian and always shared that with our guests. Our hearts are with Emile’s family, friends and all those fortunate to have known him,” Botticelli said in an emailed statement.
The flight carrying 253 passengers and 12 crew-members departed Daniel K. Inouye International Airport at 4:13 p.m. Thursday bound for John F. Kennedy International Airport.
During the flight, Griffith suffered a medical emergency, and the flight was diverted to San Francisco International Airport where it landed shortly after 11 p.m.
San Francisco airport spokesman Doug Yakel said the flight crew member had “a suspected heart attack” and that medical personnel attempted CPR during the flight but suspended these efforts prior to landing. The San Mateo County Coroner declared Griffith deceased on arrival.
Yakel said the passengers who landed in San Francisco five hours after takeoff were put on other flights.
Andrea Bartz, who was on the flight to New York, said on Twitter that the crew made an announcement asking for a doctor to go to first class and help with a medical emergency.
Bartz tweeted that “so many doctors came forward” and that police officers came on board after the plane landed.
Bartz declined to be interviewed. But she and another passenger complained on Twitter that the airline played ukulele music during the emergency.
“Hawaiian Airlines is still playing the ukulele/traditional singing soundtrack meant for boarding and deplaning, and I’ll tell ya, it’s not making anyone calmer,” she tweeted.
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