International Flight Goes Pilotless For 10 Minutes After Co-Pilot Faints While Alone In Cockpit

A Lufthansa flight to Spain nearly experienced a disaster after the plane flew pilotless for 10 minutes.

During the flight from Frankfurt, Germany, to Seville, the co-pilot of an Airbus A321 fainted while the captain was in the restroom.

An investigation of the February 2024 incident determined the aircraft went approximately 10 minutes with no one at the controls.

Co-Pilot der Lufthansa verliert Bewusstsein – Kapitän kommt nicht ins Cockpit https://t.co/QZPzHFjaIh pic.twitter.com/AfYRB246Jz

— WELT (@welt) May 17, 2025

Translated:

Lufthansa co-pilot loses consciousness – Captain cannot enter cockpit

Plane flew for 10 minutes with no one at the controls after co-pilot fainted https://t.co/266MRIUod8 pic.twitter.com/lnQd68lGKf

— The Independent (@Independent) May 18, 2025

Per WELT:

In response to a request, Lufthansa simply stated that it was aware of the investigation report. Lufthansa’s flight safety department had also conducted its own extensive investigation. However, the company did not disclose the results. “We ask for your understanding that we cannot comment beyond the investigation report,” the brief written statement concluded.

Although the unconscious co-pilot apparently inadvertently operated controls, the aircraft was able to continue flying stably thanks to the active autopilot. The voice recorder recorded strange noises in the cockpit during those minutes, consistent with an acute medical emergency, according to the report.

It wasn’t until about ten minutes later that the captain managed to open the cockpit safety door with the help of an emergency code. He had completed training for such emergencies just the previous month.

The captain unsuccessfully entered the standard door opening code five times, which triggers a buzzer in the cockpit to prompt the co-pilot to open the door. A flight attendant attempted to contact the co-pilot using the onboard telephone. These security doors, designed to prevent aircraft hijacking, cannot be opened by force.

Finally, the captain entered an emergency code that allowed the door to be opened without any intervention from the cockpit. Shortly before the door would have opened automatically, the co-pilot opened it from the inside despite his fainting spell.

PILOT PASSES OUT, CAPTAIN LOCKED OUT — 199 PASSENGERS, NO ONE FLYING

For 10 minutes, a Lufthansa flight cruised with zero conscious pilots in the cockpit.

The captain had stepped out for a bathroom break.

While he was gone, the first officer collapsed — alone at the… pic.twitter.com/ukmZKkMICe

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 17, 2025

From the New York Post:

In the aftermath, the co-pilot told authorities he didn’t know how long he was out for.

“The co-pilot stated that he had lost consciousness and that he couldn’t remember when. Before that, he remembered flying over Zaragoza and, the next thing, he was being attended to by the cabin crew and a doctor,” the report said.

“The loss of consciousness was so sudden that he was unable to warn the other crew members of his incapacitation.”

The aircraft was able to continue flying in a stable manner due to the active autopilot function, the report stated.

During that time, though, the voice recorder recorded strange noises in the cockpit that were consistent with an acute health emergency, according to investigators.

After regaining entry, the pilot opted to divert the plane to Madrid — the closest airport, according to the report.

The first officer was taken to a hospital for evaluation and doctors determined that his “sudden and severe incapacitation” was the result of a seizure disorder caused by a neurological condition, investigators said.

ADVERTISEMENT

The first officer’s medical certificate was suspended as a precautionary measure.