In a dramatic aerial accident uncovered in a recent report, a Lufthansa flight from Seville to Frankfurt flew for almost 10 minutes without a pilot at the helm when the co-pilot experienced unconsciousness while being alone in the cockpit. The mid-air crisis happened on February 17, 2024, and was disclosed through a report by the Spanish air accident investigation authority CIAIAC, quoted by the German news service dpa on Saturday.
As per the investigation, the Airbus A321 with 199 passengers and six crew members was in cruise when the co-pilot lost consciousness. The captain had been out of the cockpit for a short while to attend to his needs at the restroom. The aircraft was controlled through autopilot during the critical window, which enabled it to still fly steadily even without a vigilant pilot.
The subsequent flight data recorder showed unusual sounds in the cockpit, which matched a sudden medical condition, supporting further that the co-pilot was incapacitated.
Upon landing, the captain made five attempts to re-enter the cockpit through the standard access code, which makes a buzzer for the occupant inside to open. Getting no reply, a cabin attendant also tried to call the co-pilot through the cabin intercom.
Finally. The captain employed an emergency override code to open the cockpit door himself. Moments before the door would have automatically opened by itself, the sick co-pilot unlocked it from inside, and the captain was able to get back in command.
The co-pilot remained ill, and the captain decided to land the plane in Madrid, where paramedics were awaiting. The co-pilot was taken directly to a hospital for treatment.
Lufthansa told dpa it was aware of the CIAIAC probe and had also performed an internal review through its flight safety department, though the airline did not reveal its results.
The incident is a cause for concern regarding cockpit security procedures and medical surveillance of flight crews, although no passenger was harmed, and the flight safely landed.
The full report by CIAIAC is likely to include more recommendations to avoid similar incidents in the future.
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