A Tennessee family was left without the chance for a final viewing of their father after his body missed an airline transfer by just two minutes, according to his daughter.
Marvin “Ed” Morgan, a former track announcer at Gleason Raceway in Tennessee, died in June after battling a progressive illness. His daughter, Crystal Ladd, had arranged for his body to be flown from West Palm Beach, Florida, back to West Tennessee, where he had lived most of his life.
His final wish was to come home
Morgan’s daughter said her father wanted his brothers, son and grandson to see him one last time before his burial in Sidonia, Tennessee.
Ladd arranged the journey through Eagle Wings Air, a company that coordinates air transportation for human remains. His body was booked on a Delta Air Lines flight on June 15, travelling from West Palm Beach through Atlanta to Memphis.
However, the first flight was delayed by around two hours. It reached the gate in Atlanta at 2:57 p.m., while the connecting flight to Memphis departed at 4:55 p.m.
According to Delta’s policy, human remains must arrive at least two hours before a connecting flight to allow for transfer. Morgan’s body therefore missed the required window by just two minutes.
Body left overnight at cargo facility
Morgan was placed on another flight that reached Memphis after 8 p.m., when the airport’s cargo facility had already closed. The facility did not have refrigeration, and his body remained there overnight.
By the time the funeral director gained access the following morning, the condition of the body meant that a final viewing was no longer possible.
“I was unable to keep one of my dad’s final wishes,” Ladd said, adding that the experience was something she and her family would have to live with.
Delta said specialised cargo receives its highest shipping priority and that its protocol during flight disruptions is to place such shipments on the next available flight. The airline has offered condolences and is investigating the incident. Eagle Wings Air refunded the family and apologised.
Despite missing the final viewing, Morgan was eventually buried beside his wife. His daughter also fulfilled another wish by taking him on a final trip to the racing track he loved.