A Lufthansa flight with 205 people on board went without a pilot for 10 minutes last year after the co-pilot passed out while he was alone in the cockpit, according to a new report from Spains mishap examination authority.The captain had actually quickly left the cockpit to use the bathroom when the co-pilot fainted during a flight from Frankfurt to Seville, Spain, on February 17, 2024, stated the report from the company, called CIAIAC.An overall of 199 passengers and 6 team members were aboard the Airbus A321 at the time, the report said.The airplane continued to fly in a stable way due to autopilot being active, however the co-pilot did operate controls unintentionally, the report said.
It added that sounds consistent with the co-pilots sudden and extreme incapacitation were taped on the voice recorder during this time.An air-traffic controller attempted to reach the co-pilot up to 3 times, but there was no response.The report said the captain returned from the bathroom and tried to open the cockpit door with a routine opening code, which chimes the cockpit.
The captain made five attempts at this and a cockpit crew member likewise positioned an intercom call to the flight deck.
Without any action, the captain utilized an emergency situation code to get and took control of the aircraft.CNN has actually connected to Lufthansa for comment.Lufthansa told German news agency dpa that it was aware of the investigation report which its own flight safety department had also conducted an examination, the Associated Press reported.
The company didnt disclose its results, dpa said.The co-pilot received first aid from the crew and a medical professional, who was traveling as a traveler, the report said.
The co-pilot gained back awareness and later stated he kept in mind being treated by the team and doctor.The captain chose to divert the flight to Madrids Adolfo Surez Madrid-Barajas airport, where he landed approximately 20 minutes later on.
As soon as in Madrid, the co-pilot was transferred to medical facility where he stayed for a couple of hours.An investigation determined that the co-pilots incapacitation was the sign of a pre-existing neurological condition that he did not understand he had which had actually not been picked up throughout his aerial medical exam, the report said.The co-pilots medical certificate has since been suspended, it added.The Spanish authority detailed the incident as an amazing situation, and stated captains were trained for scenarios where another pilot ends up being incapacitated.Although unusual, in-flight incapacitations including the sudden death of pilots - do happen, the CIAIAC said, pointing out numerous reports.The authority said it identified 287 in-flight pilot incapacitations in a database of transportation occurrence reports, handled by the European Commission, throughout the 2019-2024 period.In a 2004 report, the US Federal Aviation Administration determined 39 in-flight incapacitations amongst American airline pilots over a six-year period between 1993 to 1998.
Source: CNN-- Agencies