Lufthansa Co-Pilot Loses Consciousness Mid-Flight — Jet Flies Unmanned for 10 Minutes

A serious incident aboard a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Seville has reignited a longstanding aviation safety debate after it was revealed that the aircraft flew for approximately ten minutes without a conscious pilot in the cockpit.

According to a report released by Spain’s aviation accident investigation authority, CIAIAC, the incident occurred on February 17, 2024. During the flight of an Airbus A321, the captain briefly left the cockpit to use the restroom. While he was away, the 38-year-old co-pilot suddenly lost consciousness, leaving the aircraft in the air without a functioning human operator.

Though the unconscious co-pilot reportedly made involuntary contact with cockpit controls, the plane remained stable thanks to the engaged autopilot. The cockpit voice recorder captured strange noises consistent with a medical emergency during this period.

Attempts by a flight attendant to reach the co-pilot via the onboard phone failed. The captain, who had undergone emergency door training just a month earlier, attempted five times to enter using the standard cockpit code, which typically triggers a buzzer for internal access approval — but received no response. Ultimately, he used an emergency override code. Just before the door would have unlocked automatically, the co-pilot, still weak and disoriented, managed to open it from inside.

The captain, noticing that the co-pilot was pale, sweating, and making erratic movements, declared an emergency and diverted the flight to Madrid. The Airbus, carrying 199 passengers and six crew members, landed safely. A doctor on board provided first aid, and the co-pilot was taken to a hospital upon arrival.

Lufthansa confirmed awareness of the CIAIAC report and stated that its internal flight safety division conducted its own investigation but did not disclose the results. “We kindly ask for your understanding that we will not comment beyond the official report,” the airline said in a brief written response.

Medical evaluations prior to the incident had not revealed any pre-existing health issues for the co-pilot, nor had he reported any symptoms. The incident has revived the question of whether airlines should reintroduce a mandatory dual-occupancy policy for cockpits — requiring a second authorized person to be present whenever one pilot leaves.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has been urged by CIAIAC to reevaluate regulations to ensure that no pilot remains alone in the cockpit during active flight.