Lufthansa plane pilot faints in cockpit, over 200 passengers flown by autopilot

A Lufthansa plane carrying over 200 passengers, including crew members, was flown by autopilot when the co-pilot fainted during a flight from Germany to Spain. 

In a report released on Saturday about an incident last year, the Spanish accident investigation authority, CIAIAC, disclosed that the co-pilot was alone in the cockpit as the pilot had stepped away to use the bathroom. 

According to the Spanish investigators, the Airbus A321 flight of February 17, 2024, from Frankfurt to Seville, flew without a pilot in charge for 10 minutes. 

Confirming the incident, Lufthansa said it was aware of the report, adding that its flight safety department had conducted an extensive internal investigation. However, the airline company did not disclose the results of its investigation.

“We ask for your understanding that we will not comment beyond the investigation report,” the company said.

According to reports, the aircraft continued to fly stably due to its active autopilot after the unconscious co-pilot unintentionally operated the controls.

The CIAIAC report stated that strange noises in the cockpit, which were consistent with an acute medical emergency, were captured by the voice recorder during this time.

The captain, who had left for the bathroom, emerged some 10 minutes later, and managed to open the cockpit security door using an emergency code – a training he completed for such eventuality a month beforehand.

According to the report, the captain’s five failed attempts using the normal door-opening code triggered a buzzer in the cockpit for the co-pilot to release the door.

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Meanwhile, a stewardess tried to contact the co-pilot using the onboard telephone, as opening these security doors by force is never possible due to their design meant to prevent hijackings.

Eventually, the captain entered an emergency code, which allows the door to be opened without help from the cockpit. Just before the door would have opened automatically, the co-pilot managed to open it from the inside, despite his illness.

As the co-pilot was very pale, sweating profusely, and making strange movements despite receiving medical attention while on board from a doctor who was travelling on the plane, the pilot then decided to land the plane in Madrid.

The aircraft, which had 199 passengers and six crew members on board, landed safely, and the co-pilot was brought to the hospital. 

According to the report, the co-pilot showed no signs of a pre-existing condition from past medical examinations and current tests.

The CIAIAC report, however, urged the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to encourage flight operators to reassess relevant safety guidelines.

The CIAIAC further advised that a second authorised person should always be present in the cockpit when one of the two pilots has to leave for a toilet break or other tasks.

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