200-passenger plane flies without pilot for 10 minutes: What we know about the 2024 incident

A Lufthansa aircraft flying from Germany to Spain, was operated without a pilot for 10 minutes in 2024, according to German news agency dpa's Saturday report. This frightening incident happened on February 17, 2024, when one of the pilots lost consciousness in the cockpit, and another captain was off using the bathroom alone in the cockpit. The mid-air saga unfolded when the Airbus A321 -- carrying 199 passengers and six crew members -- was en route from Frankfurt, Germany to Seville, Spain.What exactly happened on that day?According to the senior pilot, aged 43, whose name was not mentioned in the report, he left his 38-year-old colleague in charge while visiting the toilet, with approximately 30 minutes of journey time left. He observed that his colleague seemed competent and vigilant before departing.Upon returning after approximately eight minutes, the captain discovered he couldn't enter the cockpit despite multiple attempts with the security code. The situation escalated when his intercom call received no response, New York Post reported.In response to the concerning situation, the captain resorted to using an emergency access code.The first officer regained consciousness shortly afterwards."Before the emergency access code timer expired, the co-pilot opened the flight deck door manually from the inside," according to the report, noting the captain promptly resumed control of the aircraft."As the co-pilot was pale, sweating and moving strangely, the captain called for assistance from the cabin crew. The co-pilot was given first aid by the crew and a doctor, who was traveling as a passenger and diagnosed a possible heart condition."The first officer later informed officials about his uncertainty regarding the duration of his unconsciousness.“The loss of consciousness was so sudden that he was unable to warn the other crew members of his incapacitation.”Dpa reported that Lufthansa acknowledged the investigation report and confirmed their flight safety department's separate inquiry, though the results remained undisclosed.The aircraft maintained stable flight conditions due to the engaged autopilot, despite inadvertent control inputs from the unconscious co-pilot. The voice recorder documented unusual sounds within the cockpit, indicating a medical emergency, according to dpa.The captain attempted access using the standard door code five times, which activates a cockpit buzzer for co-pilot response, but was unsuccessful. A cabin crew member attempted to reach the co-pilot via the aircraft's internal communication system.Subsequently, the captain entered an emergency access code for autonomous door operation. However, dpa reported that the unwell co-pilot managed to open the door from inside moments before the automatic override would have activated.The captain subsequently diverted the aircraft to Madrid, where medical personnel attended to the co-pilot at a local hospital.