Was Sai Baba subject to death in the same way as an ordinary person?

No, the text makes it clear that Sai Baba was not subject to death in an ordinary sense. Chapter 43 describes Sai Samarth as a 'mass of bliss' and the 'complete Supreme Brahman,' for whom concepts of birth and death do not apply. The narrative suggests that the perception of his death is like witnessing a solar eclipse, which is merely a 'defect of vision.' His body was just an adjunct, and he had no awareness of physical ailments. The scripture states he is devoid of bodily impulses, and since the world is an illusion from the standpoint of Brahman, bodily consciousness is irrelevant for him.