The announcement was made during the pilot’s tanno as the plane approached London Heathrow, just over an hour after news broke that the Queen had died at Balmoral on Thursday. The touching moment on board BA flight 178 was captured on video by passenger Michael Capiraso, who was flying from the US to the UK to drop his daughter off at Edinburgh University. “Elizabeth the Queen passed away earlier today with family by her side, we have little more information at this time,” the pilot can be heard announcing in the video. “But I thought I should at least tell you that before you reach the terminal, as I know, many will be very, very sad about it. “It will give you some time to think, as I say, we have 40 minutes to land. We will all be thinking of her family at this time.” A visibly upset flight attendant is seen in the video wiping tears from her face with a tissue, while a passenger held her hands to her face in shock. Mr Capiraso, 60, posted the video on social media, along with the caption: “Surreal to be on a British Airways flight to London today and the pilot announced the Queen’s death.” He told MailOnline.com that he will “always remember the moment” of experiencing “the emotions of the flight crew and passengers”. Buckingham Palace announced Thursday that the Queen died “peacefully” at her private estate in Aberdeenshire at the age of 96. She has been replaced on the throne by her eldest son, who is now known as King Charles III.
