Los Angeles doctor delivers baby on flight from Taiwan

In an image from AP video, a member of the plane's crew holds up a newborn after Dr. Angelica Zen, who is obscured at lower right, delivered the baby on a China Air flight from Taiwan on Oct. 7, 2015. A passenger had gone into labor, and the flight was diverted to Alaska. Mother and newborn daughter left for a hospital, and the flight continued on to Los Angeles. (Edmund Chen/AP Video via AP Photo) In an image from AP video, a member of the plane's crew holds up a newborn after Dr. Angelica Zen, who is obscured at lower right, delivered the baby on a China Air flight from Taiwan on Oct. 7, 2015. A passenger had gone into labor, and the flight was diverted to Alaska. Mother and newborn daughter left for a hospital, and the flight continued on to Los Angeles. (Edmund Chen/AP Video via AP Photo)

By Associated Press October 16, 2015 3 min read

LOS ANGELES (AP) – It was a honeymoon that Dr. Angelica Zen likely won’t ever forget, and not just because of the romantic Bali vacation.

On her way home to Los Angeles last week, the UCLA physician made her first unassisted delivery of a newborn baby when a passenger suddenly went into labor over the Pacific Ocean.

The China Air flight, which had departed from Taiwan, was diverted to Alaska. Mother and newborn daughter left for a hospital, and the flight continued on to Los Angeles.

“When the baby came out healthy, I was just very relieved,” Zen, back at work at UCLA on Thursday, said laughing.

The fourth-year resident had previously delivered two infants, both under the supervision of more experienced doctors.