Lufthansa Flight Flies 10 Minutes Without Pilot After First Officer Collapses Mid-Flight

In a deeply alarming aviation incident, a Lufthansa Airbus A321 carrying 199 passengers and six crew members flew for approximately 10 minutes without a conscious pilot in the cockpit. The event, which occurred in February 2024 during a flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Seville, Spain, was only recently revealed following the release of a detailed investigation by Spanish aviation authorities.

According to the report, the mid-air emergency began when the 43-year-old captain left the cockpit to use the lavatory, believing that the first officer, aged 38, was alert and in full control. At that point, only about 30 minutes remained in the flight. However, upon returning eight minutes later, the captain found himself locked out of the cockpit. Despite entering the access code and calling through the intercom multiple times, he received no response.

Panicked, the captain used the emergency override code, which would allow the cockpit door to open automatically after a short delay. Just before the override activated, the co-pilot regained consciousness and opened the door manually. The captain immediately noticed that the first officer appeared extremely unwell; pale, sweating, and behaving erratically. He quickly summoned cabin crew and a doctor, who happened to be on board as a passenger, for medical assistance.

The investigation revealed that the co-pilot had lost consciousness without warning and was unaware of how long he had been incapacitated. He later reported remembering flying over Zaragoza before blacking out, with his next memory being of receiving medical attention in the cockpit. His sudden collapse was diagnosed as a result of an undiagnosed neurological condition, leading to the suspension of his medical certificate.

Although the aircraft remained stable throughout the incident due to the autopilot system, investigators noted that the unconscious co-pilot may have inadvertently interacted with the controls. The cockpit voice recorder picked up “strange noises” that corresponded with an acute medical emergency.

The captain diverted the flight to Madrid, the nearest airport, where the first officer was transported to a hospital for further evaluation. In light of the event, investigators have called on the European Union Aviation Safety Agency to notify all airlines of the potential risks of single-pilot cockpit occupancy, especially near the end of long flights.

Lufthansa acknowledged the incident and confirmed that their internal flight safety department also conducted an investigation, though the company has not disclosed its findings. The terrifying ordeal underscores the critical importance of redundancy and emergency procedures in modern aviation.