Newsroom
A Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Seville was left without an alert pilot for about 10 minutes in February after the co-pilot lost consciousness while alone in the cockpit, according to a report released Thursday by Spanish aviation authorities.
The Airbus A321, carrying more than 200 passengers, had just entered Spanish airspace roughly 30 minutes before its scheduled landing when the captain left the flight deck for a short break. Prior to exiting, he confirmed the co-pilot appeared to be in normal condition, the report said.
Upon returning eight minutes later, the captain found the cockpit door locked and received no response from the co-pilot. Despite multiple attempts to enter using the security code and efforts by cabin crew to make contact via intercom, there was no immediate reply. The cockpit door eventually opened after the emergency access protocol was triggered. The co-pilot, who had partially regained consciousness, unlocked the door just before the override timer expired.
Flight attendants and a medical professional onboard assisted the 38-year-old first officer, who was described as pale, sweating and behaving abnormally. The captain diverted the flight to Madrid, where the aircraft landed safely and the co-pilot was transported to a hospital.
Medical evaluations later confirmed the co-pilot suffered a seizure linked to an undiagnosed neurological condition. Investigators noted the difficulty of identifying such disorders during routine medical screenings unless symptoms are previously reported.
Spain's civil aviation authority urged the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to consider reviewing cockpit staffing policies, specifically the risks involved when only one pilot remains at the controls. Lufthansa has not commented publicly on the findings.
With information from Protothema.
