Suit Says Airline Failed To Render Aid

Karen Fossett filed suit Friday in Boston's US District Court claiming JetBlue ignored her husband, Robert, as he suffered a fatal inflight heart attack in February 2005.

According to the Associated Press, documents filed with the court say, "After the plane landed, JetBlue's employees or agents determined that Mr. Fossett was unresponsive, but nonetheless fully deplaned the aircraft before providing any assistance, calling for aid or attempting to resuscitate him."

According to the documents, another passenger saw Fossett go into "cardiac distress" and alerted the crew.

The suit further alleges airline employees neither helped Fossett nor arranged for others to help him, such as making an ambulance available at Boston after the aircraft landed.

The lawsuit claims JetBlue waited to attempt resuscitation using oxygen and "some form of CPR" until after other passengers had deplaned and been sent on their way.

It further claims only after those measures failed did the flight crew alert emergency services personnel at the airport.

Fossett was pronounced dead at Massachusetts General after EMS transported him there.

The suit -- which doesn't name individual crewmembers -- accuses the airline of causing Fossett conscious pain and suffering.

According to a company spokesperson, JetBlue's legal department hadn't seen the court documents as of yesterday.

The airlines says it won't comment on pending litigation.

FMI: www.jetblue.com