Lufthansa flight flew for 10 minutes without a pilot, report says

A Lufthansa flight co-pilot fainted while he was alone in the cockpit last year, leaving the plane without a pilot for 10 minutes, German media reported. 

According to dpa, the flight took place on Feb. 17, 2024 and was traveling from Frankfurt, Germany, to Seville, Spain. The Airbus A321 was carrying 199 passengers and six crew members. 

Lufthansa pilot faints 

What we know:

The plane’s captain was in the restroom when the pilot fainted. The pilot apparently operated controls unintentionally, allowing the plane to continue flying thanks to active autopilot. Meanwhile, the voice recorder recorded strange noises in the cockpit that were consistent with an acute health emergency. 

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The captain initially tried re-entering the cockpit using the regular door opening code, which triggers a buzzer so the co-pilot can open the door. He did so five times without being able to enter the cockpit. A stewardess tried to contact the co-pilot using the onboard telephone.

The captain then typed in an emergency code that would have allowed him to open the door on his own. But shortly before the door would have opened automatically, the co-pilot opened it from the inside despite being ill, dpa reported.

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The pilot then decided to make an unplanned landing in Madrid, where his colleague was taken to a hospital.

How did Lufthansa respond? 

What they're saying:

Lufthansa told dpa that it was aware of the investigation report and that its own flight safety department had also conducted an investigation. The company didn’t disclose its results, dpa said.