A horrific incident unfolded in the skies as a packed Lufthansa flight crossed Spain with no one at the controls, after a chain of terrifying events left the cockpit unmanned.
More than 200 passengers were on board the Airbus A321, flying from Frankfurt to Seville, when disaster nearly struck mid-air. According to investigators, the captain left the cockpit to use the bathroom right as the plane approached Spanish airspace. That left the first officer alone at the controls.
Seconds later, the first officer suddenly lost consciousness.
The captain, returning to the cockpit, found himself locked out. He repeatedly tried to punch in the emergency code—five times in total—while a flight attendant used the intercom to try to wake the unconscious co-pilot.
Ten minutes passed. The aircraft flew on autopilot, unmonitored by any conscious human, as it crossed into Spanish airspace.
Finally, the first officer regained partial consciousness and opened the door. The captain rushed in and found his colleague “pale,” “sweating,” and “moving strangely.” A doctor onboard and cabin crew gave immediate first aid as the captain took over and diverted the plane to Madrid, Daily Mail reports.
Investigators say the co-pilot suffered a sudden seizure due to an undiagnosed medical condition. They described it as “sudden and severe incapacitation.”
The incident, which occurred last year but is only now being reported in detail, has raised fresh concerns about cockpit access and pilot health screening.
