The flight was operated by Lufthansa. Credit: Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto/Getty
New details emerged about a plane with 200 people that had to fly without a pilot.
A new report revealed details of a February 2024 incident on a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Seville aboard an Airbus A321.
The flight took a dramatic turn 30 minutes before landing — the aircraft had no one at the controls.
Spanish investigators released the full report on Thursday, May 15.
According to Business Insider, the captain left the cockpit to use the restroom with about 30 minutes of flight time left.
At that moment, all seemed normal. The captain told investigators the first officer appeared fine when he exited the cockpit.
Eight minutes later, the captain returned but found himself locked out.
He tried the correct security door code and had a flight attendant call the cockpit — no response.
Even the emergency access code failed because its timer had expired.
For 10 chilling minutes, no pilot was at the controls.
Eventually, the 38-year-old first officer, whose identity remains undisclosed, managed to unlock the cockpit door.
He later told authorities he had “suddenly lost consciousness.”
When the captain reentered, he found the officer pale, sweating, and moving oddly.
The captain quickly diverted the flight to Madrid for an emergency landing.
A passenger who identified as a doctor and the flight crew aided the officer until landing.
Upon arrival, medics rushed the first officer to a hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with a seizure disorder.
The condition caused his sudden and severe incapacitation.
This incident — with the aircraft flying itself for 10 minutes — has pushed aviation authorities to reevaluate safety procedures.
According to The Economic Times, the case has led to calls for the EU Aviation Safety Agency to review cockpit protocols.
Though planes like the Airbus A321 rely on advanced autopilot, flying without a human pilot for that long remains alarming.
This wasn’t the only recent Lufthansa flight to lose a pilot mid-air.
Another Lufthansa flight from Miami to Germany made an emergency landing after the pilot lost consciousness.
Flight LH463, a Boeing 747-8, had taken off from Miami on January 19.
It was cruising over the eastern seaboard of the U.S. and Canada when the situation turned frightening.
As reported by Aviation Herald, the pilot passed out in the cockpit, triggering emergency measures.
The co-pilot immediately took control while the crew moved the unconscious captain to the crew lounge.
Two flight attendants administered first aid as the plane flew 30,000 feet above Nova Scotia.
As if the medical crisis wasn’t enough, worsening weather made continuing the flight even riskier.
The crew decided to turn back and divert the plane to Montreal, Canada.
Despite the alarming situation, the aircraft landed safely — 2,414 kilometers from its original destination in Germany.
A Lufthansa spokesperson confirmed to The Sun that all passengers were rebooked on new flights.
They added, “The flight landed there normally and safely, and the colleague received medical care.
Lufthansa regrets the inconvenience.
The safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority at all times.”
