A promising athletic career took a devastating turn when a martial arts coach suffered permanent vision loss during what should have been a routine flight to an international competition.
Arturas Lanchinskas, a 30-year-old third-degree black belt and owner of Darfight Martial Arts in Brooklyn, was traveling aboard JetBlue Flight 1825 to Lima, Peru in July 2023. His mission was to coach the United States judo team at the Pan American Judo Championships but the journey ended in unexpected tragedy.
During the flight, a JetBlue attendant accidentally dropped a pot of scalding coffee while serving passengers. The burning liquid splashed directly onto Lanchinskas‘ face and into his right eye, causing immediate and severe injuries.
“It felt like a surge of fire hit the surface of my eyeball,” Lanchinskas told The New York Post. “The pain was sharp and immediate, like a burning needle.”
Fortunately, the passenger seated next to him happened to be a medical professional who immediately advised him to flush his eye repeatedly with water. However what followed added insult to injury – literally.
According to the lawsuit filed against JetBlue, the flight crew became irritated with Lanchinskas for his frequent trips to the restroom as he desperately tried to treat his burning eye. His attorney, Erin R. Applebaum, claims the flight attendants complained about other passengers needing bathroom access.
“He was even told, ‘Sir, you’re not the only one on the airplane, we have other guests who need to use the facilities,'” Applebaum stated in the legal documents.
Upon landing in Lima, Lanchinskas was immediately transported to a local hospital where medical staff treated the burns covering his face and eye. However the damage had already been done.
When the coach returned to New York, eye specialists delivered devastating news. They diagnosed him with thermal injury and chemical burns to his right eye, conditions that would permanently alter his life. The injury resulted in lasting sensitivity to light and a significantly reduced field of vision.
The legal filing describes how Lanchinskas “was caused to sustain severe burns to the right side of his face and severe injuries to his right eye” as a direct result of the coffee incident.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about airline safety procedures and crew training. The lawsuit seeks damages under the Montreal Convention, the international treaty governing airline liability for passenger injuries during international flights.
For Lanchinskas, whose career depends on precision, timing and visual acuity in coaching elite athletes, the permanent vision impairment represents more than just a physical injury – it’s a life-altering event that has fundamentally changed his professional capabilities.
JetBlue has not publicly responded to the allegations and the case remains pending in court as both sides prepare their arguments regarding the airline’s liability for the life-changing accident.
