A Lufthansa plane from Frankfurt to Seville was operated automatically for approximately 10 minutes last February when the co-pilot became unconscious while alone in the cockpit, Spanish investigators said in a report published on Saturday.
The Airbus A321 was without a pilot at the controls when the captain went outside to take a bathroom break, and the co-pilot passed out during that interval. The Spanish safety agency CIAIAC reported that the aircraft stayed stable due to autopilot.
Cockpit audio recordings picked up strange sounds in accordance with the co-pilot’s unexpected medical crisis. Following a series of unsuccessful attempts to open the cockpit door via the standard security code, which rings a buzzer to awaken the co-pilot, a flight attendant also attempted to reach the unconscious pilot by telephone.
Eventually, the captain activated an emergency code in which the door can be opened even without the help of the cockpit. Before the door could open automatically, however, the co-pilot was able to unlock it from inside in spite of his state.
The captain chose to divert and landed the aircraft safely in Madrid. The visibly pale and heavily sweating co-pilot was treated on board by a doctor and hospitalized later. No underlying health conditions were found in the medical examination.
Lufthansa acknowledged knowing about the incident and performed an internal probe but refused to make the findings available except for the official report.
The incident has sparked renewed debate over cockpit safety procedures, and the investigators called for the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to ask airlines to rethink policy, suggesting a second qualified person always be in the cockpit when one pilot departs to use the facilities or attend to other tasks.
