Details have emerged from a probe into an incident where a commercial flight operated without a pilot for nearly 10 minutes, shedding light on the situation involving the first officer.
In February 2024, a Lufthansa Airbus A321 carrying over 200 passengers departed from Frankfurt, Germany, bound for Seville, Spain. However, the journey took an unexpected turn when, with about 30 minutes left, the aircraft experienced a 10-minute period without the first officer at the controls, necessitating a diversion to Madrid, Spain.
On Thursday, May 15, Spanish investigators released a comprehensive report on the incident.
According to Business Insider, the captain of the plane had left the cockpit to use the restroom with around 30 minutes remaining in the flight.
During his interview, the captain explained that the first officer appeared to be in good health when he exited the cockpit. However, upon returning eight minutes later, he found himself unable to gain access to the flight deck.
The captain’s attempts to use the security door’s access code and contact the first officer via intercom were unsuccessful. When he tried the emergency access code, he realized that the timer had expired.
For a full 10 minutes, the aircraft operated without any pilot in control.
So, what transpired with the first officer?
The first officer, whose identity remains undisclosed but is described as a 38-year-old male, reported to investigators that he experienced a sudden loss of consciousness. Fortunately, he regained enough awareness to unlock the cockpit door, although the captain noted he appeared ‘pale, sweating, and moving strangely’ upon their encounter.
The captain quickly decided to reroute the aircraft to Madrid, where cabin crew and a passenger, who identified as a doctor, provided assistance to the first officer.
Upon arrival, the first officer was immediately transported to a hospital, where it was determined that he suffered from a neurological issue leading to a seizure disorder, the cause of his ‘sudden and severe incapacitation.’
This incident has spurred discussions about revising safety protocols, with suggestions for the European Union Aviation Safety Agency to reassess its guidelines, as reported by The Economic Times.