'Pilot refused to land for heart attack victim Max Pearson'

News.com.au, April 17, 2011 3:52PM

A man suffered long-term heart damage on board a Singapore
Airlines flight. Picture: AFP

• BBC presenter Max Pearson has heart attack on flight
• Crew allegedly refused to make emergency landing
• Mr Pearson forced to endure 14-hour flight

A PASSENGER has allegedly been left with long-term heart damage after being forced to endure a 14 hour flight while suffering a cardiac arrest.

BBC radio presenter Max Pearson

BBC radio presenter Max Pearson is said to be considering legal action against Singapore Airlines over the incident, the UK's Daily Mail reported.

The journalist, who had been reporting on the Japanese tsunami, had flown from Tokyo to Singapore before boarding a connecting flight bound for London which landed on March 18.

Moments after the plane took off from Singapore Mr Pearson, 51, suffered a heart attack.

Cabin crew allegedly refused to divert the plane so that Mr Pearson could receive urgent medical attention.

He was rushed to hospital once the plane touched down at Heathrow. Emergency surgery saved his life.

While Mr Pearson has declined to speak of the incident yet, a BBC source said that he was lucky to be alive.

"It is lucky he managed to survive," the source said. "It looks as if he was attended to by one of the passengers, who was a doctor, during the flight.

"He says he asked for them to redirect him to hospital but it didn’t happen."

A spokesperson for the company refused to comment.

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