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Topics: Travel, World News
Poppy Bilderbeck
The details of an investigation into a flight which flew without a pilot for nearly 10 minutes have been published revealing what happened to the first officer.
In February 2024, a Lufthansa flight - an Airbus A321 with over 200 people onboard - set off from Frankfurt, Germany, set to travel to Seville, Spain.
However, during the flight with around half-an-hour of the journey left, after experiencing 10 minutes with no first officer pilot navigating the plane, the aircraft was forced to be diverted to Madrid, Spain.
On Thursday (May 15), a report by Spanish investigators was published revealing the final report on the incident.
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It's reported by Business Insider the captain of the plane left the flight desk to go to the bathroom when there was around 30 minutes of the flight remaining.
During his interview about the incident, he told investigators when he left the cockpit, the first officer of the plane seemed fine.
However, when the captain returned eight minutes later, he was reportedly unable to access the cockpit anymore.
Despite multiple attempts to use the security door's access code and a flight attendant's intercom calling of the first officer, there was no response. And when the captain tried to use the emergency access code, he discovered the timer for it had run out.
The plane ultimately went without anyone in control of the aircraft for 10 minutes.
But what had happened to the first officer?
The first officer - who remains anonymous but is reported as being a 38-year-old man - told authorities he suddenly lost consciousness.
Thankfully, he came to enough to get up and open the door - the captain describing him as 'pale, sweating and moving strangely' when he saw him.
The captain immediately made the call to divert the plane to Madrid while cabin crew and a passenger - who identified themselves as a doctor - attended to the first officer.
The first officer was rushed to hospital as soon as the plane landed and it was resolved he had a neurological issue which meant he had a seizure disorder which had caused his 'sudden and severe incapacitation'.
The investigation has prompted calls for the European Union Aviation Safety Agency to consider revising safety protocols, The Economic Times reports.
UNILAD has contacted Lufthansa and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for comment.