A sequence of unexpected events caused a Lufthansa plane to fly for ten minutes without effective supervision in the cockpit on February 17 of last year. The incident, which had remained undisclosed until now, was revealed this Thursday with the publication of the official report by the Spanish aviation authorities.
It all began as a routine flight. Over 200 passengers boarded the Airbus A321 in Frankfurt, Germany, bound for Seville, Spain. The approximately three-hour journey was proceeding normally: the aircraft had reached cruising altitude and was operating on autopilot.
However, about 30 minutes before landing and just as it was approaching the Spanish border, flight LH1152 came dangerously close to disaster. The captain, 43, left the cockpit to use the restroom, leaving the first officer, 38, in command. Eight minutes later, when he attempted to return, he discovered that his colleague had lost consciousness and was unresponsive.
The captain tried in vain to enter using the security door access code. He attempted it five times. A flight attendant also tried to contact the co-pilot via intercom but received no response. As the tension mounted, the captain used the emergency access code. It was then that the first officer, by then semi-conscious, managed to help unlock the door from inside.
Once inside, the captain found his colleague “pale, sweaty, and showing erratic movements,” according to the report. He took control of the aircraft and called for urgent medical assistance. Fortunately, a doctor was among the passengers and, with the help of the crew, was able to stabilize the co-pilot. Due to the seriousness of the episode, the flight was diverted to Madrid, the nearest airport.
After landing, the first officer was immediately taken to a hospital. Doctors determined he had suffered a seizure related to a neurological disorder that is difficult to diagnose. According to the medical team, this type of condition could only have been detected through specific medical tests and the presence of recent symptoms.
“The co-pilot stated that he lost consciousness without knowing exactly when. He remembered flying over Zaragoza, and the next thing he recalled was being attended to by the crew and a doctor,” the Spanish report says. Cockpit recordings also captured unusual sounds during the incident, supporting the clinical diagnosis.
Although the episode did not escalate further, the exposure to risk was significant. For that reason, Spanish investigators recommended that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency review current protocols, especially in situations where a pilot must briefly leave the cockpit.
Lufthansa confirmed it was aware of the report and said its Safety Department had already launched an internal investigation to prevent a similar incident from occurring again. However, the airline declined to provide further details: “We ask for understanding, as we will not be making any comments beyond the official report,” they stated.
