Airbus plane flew in the air for 10 minutes without a controller

A dangerous situation occurred on board a Lufthansa Airbus A321 on the Frankfurt-Seville route on February 17, 2024. According to the German newspaper Bild and the Spanish Aviation Accident Investigation Commission, the plane was left without control for several minutes during the flight.

The incident occurred at an altitude of 10,700 meters. The co-pilot was left alone in the cockpit because the captain had gone to the toilet, and at that moment he suddenly lost consciousness. Although the plane switched to autopilot, the pilot's body position caused the airliner to deviate slightly from the course.

The chief pilot tried to return, but the cabin door was locked and the co-pilot's attempt to enter the door code without confirmation did not work. Although the plane continued to stabilize, the situation posed a serious danger.

Only after eight minutes did the co-pilot regain consciousness and open the door manually. The captain immediately took control and a successful emergency landing was made in Madrid.

The commission's conclusion noted that the pilot's sudden loss of consciousness was due to a previously undiagnosed neurological problem.

From the editorial staff of Zamin.uz:
This incident once again confirms that, despite high-tech systems, the human factor is of decisive importance in aviation. Should monitoring of the health of pilots be further strengthened in commercial flights? What do you think about this situation? Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!