American Airlines issued a statement on Monday in which they emphasized the fact that the woman who recently died in one of their airplanes was in fact helped by the staff members.

The company has been accused that because of faulty equipment and personnel incompetence a 44-year-old Brooklyn woman with heart disease died aboard a plane. The woman couldn’t breathe normally and asked the flight attendant to give her oxygen. The flight attendant allegedly refused the woman’s request thus eliminating any chance of saving her life. She then tried to help the ailing woman, but used faulty equipment, including an empty oxygen tank, and couldn’t do anything to prevent the dramatic death.

American Airlines disputed the statements of one of the dead woman’s relatives, who was also aboard the plane. Mr. Oliver, the woman’s cousin, said that the flight attendant refused to help the woman and when she finally decided to help two oxygen tanks that she tried to use were empty.

The oxygen tanks and a defibrillator were actually working, said the air company. There were also several medical professionals on the flight, including a physician, who made efforts to save the Ms. Desir, but it was all in vane.

"American Airlines, after investigation, has determined that oxygen was administered on the aircraft, and it was working, and the defibrillator was applied as well," airline spokesman Charley Wilson said Monday.

Wilson added that there were 12 oxygen tanks aboard Flight 896 and the crew checked them before the flight took off. Two of those tanks were used on Ms. Desir.

Mr. Oliver's Version

According to Mr. Oliver’s account, Ms. Desir had repeatedly complained about not feeling well. She was very thirsty on the Friday flight from Port-au-Prince after she ate a meal. She was given water by a flight attendant.

After drinking water, Desir complained about having trouble breathing and when she asked for oxygen the flight attendant refused. “Don’t let me die,” said Ms. Desir, according to Mr. Oliver’s sayings.

After talking by telephone to the cockpit, the flight attendant finally decided to administer oxygen from a portable tank and mask, but the tank was empty. Fortunately, but not fortunately enough, there were two doctors and two nurses aboard the place, but as they tried to administer Desir oxygen from a second tank, they found out it was also empty.

Desir was placed on the floor, but the resuscitation attempts were futile, said Mr. Oliver according to the Associated Press.

Oliver asked for the plane to land as soon as possible. The pilot agreed and in 45 minutes landed in Miami, but before the plane had landed Ms. Desir was already dead.

“Her last words were, ‘I cannot breathe,’ ” Oliver said.