Air National Guard member hailing from Topeka dies on plane
TOPEKA (KSNT) - A retired member of the Kansas Air National Guard hailing from Topeka died while on an international flight earlier this week.
Massachusetts State Police (MSP) told 27 News troopers and Suffolk County State Police detectives responded to an unattended death on board an Air France flight from Paris to Boston on Tuesday, Jan. 14. First responders identified the deceased as Barbara DiPoli, 53, of Topeka.
The MSP said the initial investigation into her death shows she suffered from a "medical episode" while on the international flight. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Massachusetts will make the final determination into her cause of death at a later date.
27 News reached out to Jane Welch with the Kansas Adjutant General's Office for more information about DiPoli. She said DiPoli served in the Kansas Air National Guard from 2007 to 2024, eventually retiring from it in September 2024.
Welch said DiPoli spent the last several years working for the Air National Guard in Washington, D.C. but still retained her status as a member of the Kansas Air National Guard. DiPoli was promoted to the rank of Chief Master Sergeant in July 2022 and was stationed with the 190th Air Refueling Wing in Topeka prior to leaving for Washington, D.C.
For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.
Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf