Incident on Lufthansa Flight to Spain

Berlin: A Lufthansa flight last year experienced a peculiar situation when it flew for ten minutes without a designated pilot. According to the German news agency DPA, the co-pilot fainted while alone in the cockpit.

This incident occurred on February 17, 2024, during a flight from Frankfurt to Seville. While the captain was in the restroom, the co-pilot lost consciousness, as reported by the Spanish accident investigation agency Ciaiac.

The aircraft, which had 199 passengers and six crew members on board, operated without piloting for approximately ten minutes, noted the report.

Lufthansa acknowledged the investigation and stated that its flight safety department was also involved. However, the results of that investigation have not been made public, according to DPA.

During the co-pilot’s absence, the autopilot kept the plane stable. Disturbing noises recorded by the cockpit’s voice recorder indicated a serious health issue, as per the DPA.

The captain attempted to enter the cockpit using the standard access code, which triggers a buzzer for the co-pilot to respond. After five unsuccessful attempts, a stewardess tried to reach the co-pilot using an onboard phone.

Ultimately, the captain used an emergency code to gain access. Just as the door was about to open automatically, the co-pilot managed to unlock it from the inside despite his condition, as reported.

Following this unusual episode, the captain opted for an unscheduled landing in Madrid, where both pilots were taken to the hospital.