( CNN ) -- A 16-year-old suffered a medical emergency on a Delta Air Lines cross-country flight , and died after the flight made an emergency landing in Spokane , Washington , authorities said Saturday . Jim Uttke , deputy medical investigator for the Spokane Medical Examiner , said it appeared the youth died of natural causes . An autopsy will be performed Monday . His name was not released . The youth was the son of a soldier from the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade of the 7th Infantry Division out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord at Fort Lewis , Washington , a U.S. military official said . The youth was traveling with mother to join his father who 'd gone ahead to a new base , the official said . The Spokane Fire Department said on its Facebook page that the youth was part of a military family flying to Atlanta for Christmas . Delta Flight 128 was bound for Atlanta from Seattle on Saturday and was diverted to Spokane after a medical emergency , Delta spokesman Michael Thomas said . Thomas said the plane carrying 258 passengers was scheduled to land in Atlanta at 4 p.m . ET Saturday . It 's now expected to arrive about 11 p.m . Pilot 's deadly in-flight heart attack threatens passengers .
NEW : The youth 's father was a soldier in Washington state . The teen and his family were flying to Atlanta for Christmas , fire department says . Comment: The flight had left Seattle en route to Atlanta .