Thai pilot turns midwife to deliver baby on Taiwan to Bangkok flight

[snoop1130]

 

In a tale straight out of a gripping Hollywood movie, a Thai airline pilot stepped up to the plate as the heroic Bruce Willis/John McClane-type protagonist to deliver a baby after a pregnant mother went into labour on a flight from Taiwan to Bangkok.

 

The courageous Thai pilot, Jakarin Sararnrakskul, reportedly lacked medical training beyond basic first aid but he took to his new role as a midwife like a duck to water, to deliver a beautiful baby boy

 

With nearly two decades of piloting experience, Jakarin was at the helm of a four-hour VietJet Airbus A320 flight from Taipei to Bangkok on Friday, February 23, when the emergency unfolded. Responding to the cabin crew’s alert, he left the cockpit, leaving his female co-pilot to navigate the aircraft, and rushed to assist the woman in Labour.

 

Upon reaching her side, Jakarin found the woman in active labour. Despite never having delivered a baby in his 18 years as a pilot, he successfully delivered the child while the plane remained thousands of feet in the air.

 

Paramedics awaited the aircraft upon its arrival in Bangkok, Thailand, ensuring the safety and health of both mother and baby.

 

Reflecting on the extraordinary event, Sararnrakskul expressed pride in his ability to bring a new life into the world, delighting eager reporters with the heartwarming outcome.

 

“He will be able to tell everyone for the rest of his life that he was born in the air.

 

“I feel so proud that I could help to bring him into the world.”

 

Sararnrakskul mentioned that the crew affectionately dubbed the baby “Sky” in recognition of his dramatic and tumultuous birth onboard the aircraft, reported Yahoo.

 

The pilot did not disclose whether he possessed any medical qualifications or background.

 

By Bob Scott

Caption: Picture courtesy of Reuters

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-03-04

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

 

[Crossy]

All in a day's work.

 

Most of us fellahs would have sent the female co-pilot back to deal with the issue

[bluuskii]

Cabin crew are trained to deal with delivering a baby on board. The Capt should have never left his seat and leave the FO alone in the flight deck as that is not his role  or responsibility.

 

If at that moment the FO became incapacitated there would nobody flying the airplane .

 

 

 

 

[scorecard]

I guess there's regulations / laws covering 'what is the the birth country of the baby?' 

[Pouatchee]

 

geeeezzzzzz.... ill look for it next season....

no other news?

 

                                                  

 

 

Edited March 4 by Pouatchee

[simon43]

6 hours ago, bluuskii said:

Cabin crew are trained to deal with delivering a baby on board. The Capt should have never left his seat and leave the FO alone in the flight deck as that is not his role  or responsibility.

 

If at that moment the FO became incapacitated there would nobody flying the airplane .

 

 

 

 

Ever heard of autopilot?  The captain would have plenty of time to return to his flying duties 🙂

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thai pilot, Jakarin Sararnrakskul, reportedly lacked medical training beyond basic first aid but he took to his new role as a midwife like a duck to water, to deliver a beautiful baby boy

 

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Responding to the cabin crew’s alert, he left the cockpit, leaving his female co-pilot to navigate the aircraft, and rushed to assist the woman in Labour.

So the cabin crew had less medical training than the basic first aid trained pilot, who had to leave the flight deck to help out??

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, bluuskii said:

Cabin crew are trained to deal with delivering a baby on board. The Capt should have never left his seat and leave the FO alone in the flight deck as that is not his role  or responsibility.

 

If at that moment the FO became incapacitated there would nobody flying the airplane .

 

 

 

 

In some countries the pilots actions might have been questionable, but hey... this is Thailand he's a hero.

[expat_4_life]

Is this baby now technically or legally "stateless"?

What country/city was he born in?

[bamnutsak]

37 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Ever heard of autopilot?  The captain would have plenty of time to return to his flying duties 🙂

 

The airline has rules for this situation. That the Captain felt it was acceptable to leave the cockpit and assist with the birth tells me that VietJet allows such a thing. The Captain is responsible for all souls on the aircraft.

 

 

There are also rules about pregnant women flying after a certain period, with or without a Doctor's approval.

 

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The pilot did not disclose whether he possessed any medical qualifications or background.

 

Strange. If "trained" why not mention that?

 

[NE1]

I didn't think you were allowed to fly if you were past 6 months pregnant ?

[Crossy]

10 minutes ago, expat_4_life said:

Is this baby now technically or legally "stateless"?
What country/city was he born in?

 

My understanding is that the "birth country" would be the country where the aircraft is registered.

 

This does not imply anything regarding nationality, there are not many countries that still offer "jus-soli" (nationality based upon being born on that country's soil).

[bamnutsak]

55 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

There are also rules about pregnant women flying after a certain period, with or without a Doctor's approval.

 

Thai Vietjet rules https://th.vietjetair.com/page/terms-and-conditions

 

32 weeks + cannot fly

28 -32 weeks need Fit fo Fly document from Doctor

28 weeks - OK to fly

 

 

Bangkok Airways: https://www.bangkokair.com/traveling-while-pregnant

 

[hkt83100]

8 hours ago, bluuskii said:

there would nobody flying the airplane .

Nowadays it is quite common for commercial airplanes to have a fine piece of equipment called "autopilot".

 

P.S. Sorry Simon, I read your comment after writing this.

Edited March 5 by hkt83100
Added P.S.

[extercy]

Isn't the pilot the medical doctor in Suvarnabhumi airport in the reality show Bangkok Airport ?

[Scott Tracy]

The captain, not just 'the pilot'. Left the cockpit. 1 pilot flying, good greif, they're not double crewed for nothing. Germanwings ring any any bells?

[Scott Tracy]

6 hours ago, simon43 said:

Ever heard of autopilot?  The captain would have plenty of time to return to his flying duties 🙂

Not if the pilot flying decided not to let him back in. There need be no pilot at all with autopilot engaged, but flight crew monitor and answer radios, monitor the condition of the aircraft. Carry out emergency actions when required. Flight crew are flight crew for a reason. The best paid crew person, with the ultimate responsibility for the lives and welfare of all on board, and he left the secured flight deck.

[PETERTHEEATER]

9 hours ago, NE1 said:

I didn't think you were allowed to fly if you were past 6 months pregnant ?

Where does it say the female co-pilot was pregnant? 😀

[richard_smith237]

17 hours ago, bluuskii said:

Cabin crew are trained to deal with delivering a baby on board. The Capt should have never left his seat and leave the FO alone in the flight deck as that is not his role  or responsibility.

 

If at that moment the FO became incapacitated there would nobody flying the airplane .

 

Way to go...    brilliant... Shoe horning a negative out of an outstanding positive !!!...

 

Its amazing the stretches people will go to not to be positive...    such stupidity too.

 

What do you think the Pilot or CoPilot do when they need the bathroom ????

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

3 hours ago, Scott Tracy said:

Not if the pilot flying decided not to let him back in. There need be no pilot at all with autopilot engaged, but flight crew monitor and answer radios, monitor the condition of the aircraft. Carry out emergency actions when required. Flight crew are flight crew for a reason. The best paid crew person, with the ultimate responsibility for the lives and welfare of all on board, and he left the secured flight deck.

 

Correct - he left the flight deck and successfully dealt with a medical emergency. 

 

Your criticism may be valid if there were only one pilot on the flight, but in this example, your criticism is moronic. 

[Srikcir]

23 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

VietJet Airbus A320 flight from Taipei to Bangkok

Aircraft operated by a Vietnamese airline based in Hanoi is likely registered in Vietnam.

Under the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, a birth on a ship or aircraft in international waters or airspace shall be treated as a birth in the country of the ship or aircraft's registration. https://best-citizenships.com

So this child is Vietnamese. Will Thailand allow it to enter Thailand visa-free? What about entry under guardianship by the Thai mother? But formal legality might require mother to get dual citizenship for the child to bypass alien residency issues.

[Cabradelmar]

10 hours ago, expat_4_life said:

Is this baby now technically or legally "stateless"?

What country/city was he born in?

I don't know about Taiwan. Thailand does not follow jus soli. The baby gets the citizenship of its mother/parents.

[Cabradelmar]

Either the baby came early, or the airlines failed to follow their policy. If it's the later, Its a daring women to fly so close to her due date. The parent's need to adopt the name Sky 🙂 

[sirineou]

18 hours ago, bluuskii said:

Cabin crew are trained to deal with delivering a baby on board. The Capt should have never left his seat and leave the FO alone in the flight deck as that is not his role  or responsibility.

 

11 hours ago, hotchilli said:

In some countries the pilots actions might have been questionable, but hey... this is Thailand he's a hero.

 

6 hours ago, extercy said:

Isn't the pilot the medical doctor in Suvarnabhumi airport in the reality show Bangkok Airport ?

Even if this positive and uplifting story, can find something negative to say about Thais and Thailand. 

IMO it says more abut those than it does about Thailand and Thais. 

[sirineou]

11 hours ago, expat_4_life said:

s this baby now technically or legally "stateless"?

Yes indeed because because both of its parent were also statesless ,  and a baby only get it's nationality from the country it is born in ,and no other criteria. 

[richard_smith237]

11 hours ago, expat_4_life said:

Is this baby now technically or legally "stateless"?

What country/city was he born in?

 

 

Questions such as this really give significant pause for thought...   

 

...the mind boggles....       I'm left wondering what bit of humour I'm missing for this can't be a serious question, surely ?????

 

 

 

 

 

[Scott Tracy]

20 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Correct - he left the flight deck and successfully dealt with a medical emergency. 

 

Your criticism may be valid if there were only one pilot on the flight, but in this example, your criticism is moronic. 

I'm grateful for your comment. I refer you to EASA recommendation dated 27 Mar 2015, I also refer you to FAR 91.105, 

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, Scott Tracy said:

22 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Correct - he left the flight deck and successfully dealt with a medical emergency. 

 

Your criticism may be valid if there were only one pilot on the flight, but in this example, your criticism is moronic. 

I'm grateful for your comment. I refer you to EASA recommendation dated 27 Mar 2015, I also refer you to FAR 91.105, 

 

Great... Now of that 86 page EASA 'recommendations'  (not regulations)...  Please highlight where it states it is forbidden (or not recommended) for a Pilot of a CoPilot to leave the fight-deck....