Lufthansa flight becomes “ghost flight” after co-pilot faints with captain locked out of the cockpit

[disconsolate]

Lufthansa flight becomes “ghost flight” after co-pilot faints with captain locked out of the cockpit​

Story by S Costa
• 14h

Lufthansa Airbus A321. Photo: Wikimedia

A Lufthansa flight between Frankfurt and Seville experienced moments of extreme tension when the co-pilot lost consciousness while the captain was locked out of the cockpit in the lavatory. The incident occurred on February 17, 2024, but the official investigation report was only released this week by Spanish authorities.​

The incident, now referred to as “ghost flight” LH1140, involved an Airbus A321 with 199 passengers on board. According to the report, everything was proceeding normally until the captain left the cockpit to use the bathroom, as part of routine procedures. At that moment, the co-pilot, who had taken over command of the aircraft, suddenly lost consciousness, possibly due to a neurological seizure.


With the cockpit door locked — as required by security protocols — the captain was unable to re-enter. For eight minutes, the aircraft flew without any active control, unresponsive to radio contact attempts by air traffic controllers and nearby aircraft.

The situation was prevented from becoming a tragedy only because the captain, realizing the silence in the cockpit, activated the emergency code, which triggered an audible alarm inside the cockpit. The sound awakened the co-pilot, who managed to unlock the door. The captain regained control, and a doctor on board provided first aid, stabilizing the co-pilot. The flight, originally bound for Seville, was successfully diverted to Madrid, where it landed without further incident.


Despite the safe outcome, the report highlights the potential for disaster. With the co-pilot unconscious, involuntary movements could have deactivated the autopilot and placed the aircraft at imminent risk of crashing. The case has been compared to the Germanwings tragedy in 2015, when co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, taking advantage of the captain’s absence, deliberately crashed the aircraft into the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board.


Following the new scare, the investigation recommends that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) re-evaluate the current rule, ensuring that there is never only one person in the cockpit. The adoption of the “four-eyes rule” — requiring at least two people in the cockpit — is suggested as a measure to prevent similar incidents, especially in cases of medical emergencies.

Source: flugrevue | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.

 

[NanoRay]

Next time put an air stewardess [in the cockpit] when one pilot is in the toilet.

Her role is to turn the knob when the pilot has finished his business in the toilet.