[pierrem15]

The Medical Examiner declared it an accidental death, caused by "decompression sickness with contributing factors of obesity, hypertension, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with an unknown role for the SARS-CoV-2 infection."

Sounds like he was in no condition to do any unpressurized flights. More likely to be sudden onset of high altitude sickness, which can include brain swelling, pulmonary edema and pulmonary clots.

[pfflier]

Sounds like he was in no condition to do any unpressurized flights.

True. We had our annuals with the flight surgeon to remain on flight status. We would have been grounded for "contributing factors of obesity, hypertension, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease,".

I wonder if the defense contractor required any sort of similar flight physical? If he was civil service, it would likely have been a requirement, same as military.

[Paal Gulli]

...Sounds like he was in no condition to do any unpressurized flights. More likely to be sudden onset of high altitude sickness, which can include brain swelling, pulmonary edema and pulmonary clots....

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner:

"...The Medical Examiner declared it an accidental death, caused by "decompression sickness with contributing factors of obesity, hypertension, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, ...

He had health problems just looking for the opportunity to kill him. The test flight gave them what they had been waiting for.