Air controller tried to contact the crew three times, but could not
A Lufthansa flight with 205 people on board was out of 10 minutes last year after the co -pilot was passed out while being alone at the cockpit, according to a new report by the Spanish authority of aviation accident investigation.
The commander had gone out of the riding booth to go to the bathroom when the co -pilot fainted during a Frankfurt flight to Seville, Spain, on February 17, 2024, the Ciaiac report says.
A total of 199 passengers and six crew members were aboard the Airbus A321 at the time.
The plane continued to fly stable due to the fact that the autopilot is active, but the co -pilot operated the commands unintentionally, according to the report, which adds that during this period, they were recorded on the voice recorder consistent with the “sudden and severe disability” of the co -pilot.
A air traffic controller tried to contact the co -pilot three times, but got no response.
When the commander returned from the bathroom, he tried to open the pilot cab door with a normal opening code, which sounds the sound signal. The commander made five attempts and a crew member also made a call for the intercom for the riding booth. Without response, the commander used an emergency code to access the door and assumed the control of the plane.
Speaking to CNN, Lufthansa said it was aware of the investigation report and had cooperated with the Spanish authorities. The airline stated that its flight security department also investigated the case, excusing it to give more details.
The co -pilot received first aid from the crew and a doctor, who traveled as a passenger. He later recovered his conscience and said he remembered being treated by the crew and the doctor.
The commander decided to divert the flight to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport in Madrid, where he landed about 20 minutes later. Once in Madrid, the co -pilot was transferred to the hospital, where he remained for a few hours.
An investigation determined that the co-pilot’s inability was a symptom of a pre-existing neurological disease that he did not know he had and had not been detected during his medical examination to the airline, refers to the report.
The co -pilot’s medical certificate has been suspended in the meantime.
The Spanish authority described the incident as an “extraordinary circumstance” and said the commanders were trained for disability situations by the copilot.
Although rare, disabilities during the flight – including the sudden death of pilots – may occur, said Ciaiac, citing several reports.
The authority said it has identified 287 pilot disabilities on a flight base of transportation reports, managed by the European Commission, during the period 2019-2024.
In a 2004 report, the US Federal Aviation Administration identified 39 flight disabilities among US airline pilots over a period of six years between 1993 and 1998.
CNN Rosa de Acosta contributed to this article.
