Report Details

Delta Air Lines

Flight Number:
Delta 1723 (BOS/DTW) continuing to GRU on Delta 205

Date and Time of Incident October 22, 2010

Type of Incident: Death

Description of Animal Breed: Pug Age: 4.5 Years Name: Tony

Description of Incident: Tony moved through the Delta system from Boston connecting through Detroit without incident until arrival at Guarulhos International Airport, Brazil. Upon arrival at Guarulhos it was noticed that the dog had expired. The remains were turned over the Ministry of Agriculture who normally completes necropsies in Brazil. A necropsy was not preformed by the Ministry of Agriculture and the owner did not consent to an independent necropsy. The temperature at GRU was 60O.

Cause of Incident: The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture attributed the death to non-pressurization of the cargo hold. However, a necropsy was not performed to establish this as a cause of death.

Corrective Action Taken: The incident was investigated during which handling, maintenance and operating records were reviewed. No problems with heat or pressurization in the applicable baggage bins were found. The crew was aware of the AVI on board and set temperature controls to ensure the comfort of the AVI. Due to lack of necropsy, a cause of death is undetermined.