Widow sues Southwest Airlines after husband dies on O.C.-bound plane

A wrongful death lawsuit was filed against Southwest Airlines over the death of CNBC contributor Richard Ilczyszyn, who died on board a flight from Oakland to John Wayne Airport.

46-year-old Richard IIlczyszyn was flying on a Southwest flight from Oakland to Orange County last September when he suffered a fatal, pulmonary embolism.

"He said, 'I love you and i can't wait to get home to see my girls,'" Richard's widow, Kelly, said of his words minutes before takeoff.

Flight attendants reportedly heard sounds from the rear restroom. They were able to partially open the door and saw him slumped over, groaning, and crying. They say his foot was wedged against the door, so they called the Sheriff's Department to report an unruly passenger. His wife and family attorney have since filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the airline.

"There was plenty enough time if they had given attention to this and called it the right way to get medical people there who could have established air for him and saved his life," Browne Greene, the family's attorney, said.

Deputies got everyone off the plane before opening the bathroom door. They found Ilcyzyszyn unresponsive and called for medical help, but he later died at the hospital.

The airline says the crew could not pry open the door, and were unable to fully assess his condition.

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