Lufthansa Flight Went 10 Minutes Without a Pilot After Copilot Fainted, Report Reveals

A Lufthansa flight carrying 205 people was left without an active pilot for 10 tense minutes after the copilot fainted while alone in the cockpit, according to a recent report from Spain’s air accident investigation agency, CIAIAC.

The incident occurred on February 17, 2024, during a flight from Frankfurt, Germany, to Seville, Spain. The captain had stepped out of the cockpit for a bathroom break, leaving the copilot alone at the controls. That’s when the copilot suddenly lost consciousness.

Despite the alarming situation, the Airbus A321 remained in stable flight thanks to autopilot. However, investigators noted that the unconscious copilot unintentionally interacted with the controls during this time. Audio recordings confirmed sounds consistent with what they called a “sudden and severe incapacitation.”

Air traffic controllers attempted to contact the cockpit multiple times but received no response. The captain returned and initially tried to re-enter using the standard door code, which alerts those inside with a chime. After five unsuccessful attempts and an unanswered intercom call, the captain used an emergency override code to regain access to the flight deck and took over the controls.

According to the report, the copilot received immediate first aid from the crew and a doctor who happened to be onboard. He eventually regained consciousness and later recalled receiving treatment.

The captain diverted the flight to Madrid’s Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, landing safely about 20 minutes later. The copilot was taken to a hospital, where he stayed for several hours.

Investigators later discovered that the copilot’s fainting episode was caused by an undiagnosed neurological condition. This condition had not been detected during his routine medical evaluations. As a result, his medical certification has been suspended.

Lufthansa acknowledged the findings and confirmed that its own safety team had conducted a separate investigation, though the results were not publicly shared, according to German news agency dpa and the Associated Press.

The Spanish aviation authority classified the incident as an “extraordinary circumstance,” but emphasized that airline captains are trained to handle situations involving pilot incapacitation.

While rare, such incidents do happen. CIAIAC pointed to 287 reported cases of pilot incapacitation across European commercial flights between 2019 and 2024. For comparison, a 2004 FAA report documented 39 such cases involving U.S. airline pilots over a six-year span from 1993 to 1998.

Source: CNN – Lufthansa flight flew without a pilot for 10 minutes after copilot fainted, report finds