The incident took place on February 17, 2024, aboard an Airbus A321 carrying 199 passengers and six crew members, dpa reported, referring to a report by the Spanish accident investigation authority CIAIAC.
In a bizarre incident, a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Seville flew without a pilot in command for 10 minutes after the co-pilot, who was alone in the cockpit at that time, fainted while the captain was in the restroom. The incident took place on February 17, 2024, aboard an Airbus A321 carrying 199 passengers and six crew members, dpa reported, referring to a report by the Spanish accident investigation authority CIAIAC.
The report stated that the flight went without a pilot for 10 minutes. Despite the co-pilot’s unconscious state and some unintentional control inputs, the aircraft remained stable thanks to the active autopilot system. According to the Spanish accident investigation authority CIAIAC, the cockpit voice recorder captured unusual sounds indicating a sudden medical emergency.
Captain struggled to re-enter the cockpit
Upon returning, the captain attempted to enter the cockpit by using the standard door opening code, which requires the co-pilot’s confirmation from inside. He tried this method five times without success. A flight attendant also attempted to reach the co-pilot via the internal phone system.
The captain then used an emergency override code designed to unlock the cockpit door without internal confirmation. Moments before the door would have opened automatically, the co-pilot, despite his condition, managed to manually open it.
Unscheduled landing in Madrid
Following the incident, the captain decided to divert the flight to Madrid, where the co-pilot was taken to a hospital for medical attention.
Lufthansa confirmed awareness of the CIAIAC investigation and stated that its own flight safety department also conducted an internal review. However, the airline did not disclose the findings of its investigation, according to dpa.
(With inputs from the Associated Press)
