Passenger Flight Left Pilot-less for 10 Minutes Due to Mid-air Medical Emergency
A medical emergency combined with an untimely bathroom break created what could have been a catastrophic event for 200 passengers on a flight between Spain and Germany.
Though this incident took place last year, the full details of the potentially disastrous situation have only recently come to light following a comprehensive report from Spanish investigators on the February 2024 occurrence.
According to Business Insider, a Lufthansa flight en route from Frankfurt, Germany, to Seville, Spain, was left without a pilot for approximately 10 minutes under unsettling circumstances. As the aircraft was about to enter Spanish airspace, with around 30 minutes remaining in the journey, the captain took a brief restroom break.
Upon attempting to re-enter the cockpit eight minutes later, the captain found himself locked out, despite trying the door’s security code repeatedly. A flight attendant attempted to reach the first officer through the intercom but received no response.
Although the captain’s 38-year-old co-pilot seemed fine earlier, he lost consciousness at some point while the captain was away. Eventually, the first officer came to and managed to open the cockpit door, leaving the aircraft without pilot control for roughly 10 minutes.
The first officer was described as looking “pale, sweating, and behaving oddly,” prompting immediate attention from the flight crew and a doctor on board. Meanwhile, the captain rerouted the flight to the nearest airport in Madrid for the first officer to receive critical medical care.
Investigators concluded that the first officer’s “sudden and severe incapacitation” was due to a neurological condition known to cause seizures.
Business Insider reported that “Investigators suggested the European Union Aviation Safety Agency inform all airlines about this incident to reassess the risks of leaving one pilot alone on the flight deck.”
Lufthansa did not reply to Business Insider’s request for comments.