A widow has accused Southwest Airlines of leaving her 46-year-old husband to die in the bathroom when he suffered a heart attack on board . Richard Ilczyszyn , a leading financial broker , could be heard 'groaning ' and 'crying ' by staff on the Orange County-bound plane as it prepared to land . But rather than seeking medical help , the attendants allegedly left the father-of-three in the cubicle and , on landing , letting off all other passengers before calling paramedics . Distraught , Ilczyszyn 's wife Kelly , who is a Southwest flight attendant , is filing a wrongful death suit against the airline for failing to act . SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Distraught : Kelly Ilczyszyn claims her husband Richard ( pictured together with their daughter Sydney ) could have survived his heart attack on a Southwest flight if attendants sought medical attention rather than police . Tragic : The leading financial broker was 46 when he lost consciousness on the Orange County-bound flight . Defending their actions , a Southwest spokesman said staff are trained to treat such behavior - screaming and crying in the bathroom - as a security risk . A sheriff 's report stated that Ilczyszyn 's foot was wedged in the door as he 'groaned ' and 'cried ' at the end of the flight heading home to Orange County , California , after a business trip . Staff described him to colleagues as 'an unruly passenger , ' records reveal . Kelly told CBS News : 'He should have been helped on the aircraft . If they just would have gotten help . 'One flight attendant said she opened the door and she saw the top of my husband 's head and his head was down and he was just whimpering , and [ she ] left him there . 'The paramedics should have met the aircraft . Absolutely . Absolutely . And he would be here today . ' Baffled : Kelly , a Southwest flight attendant , said the sequence of events goes against what she would do . Father : She described the pain of having to tell their daughter Sydney that Richard had died . Justice ? Kelly has filed a wrongful death suit against Southwest Airlines . As a flight attendant for the same airline , Kelly explained , the sequence of events baffled her . ' I know if a passenger is in distress ... we need to help them , ' she said . 'We need to figure out , is he okay , does he need medical attention , what 's going on . And so I was very confused why they did n't help my husband . ' Ilczyszyn 's passing was mourned by the financial community . The founder of independent brokerage firm iiTrader , he spent 10 years as a floor trader in Chicago , and often appeared as a commentator on television . Beyond the lawsuit , Kelly said her focus is now on their young daughter Sydney . Breaking the news , she explained , was terrible . 'That was the worst . My daughter and her father were so close . I just said , `` Daddy 's not coming home . Daddy went to heaven '' . '
Richard Ilczyszyn , 46 , died on board a Southwest flight of a heart attack . Flight attendants 'heard him groaning and crying in the cubicle ' One staffer 'opened the door , saw him whimpering , and left him there ' His widow , a Southwest flight attendant , is suing the firm for wrongful death . The airline says staff are trained to treat behavior like his as a security risk .