The Lufthansa flight involved an Airbus A321 with 199 passengers on board.
The drama began when the captain went to use the bathroom and the co-pilot suddenly lost consciousness.
According to a report on msn.com, the captain was unable to re-enter the cockpit because the door was locked as per security protocols.
Tragedy was averted when the captain activated an emergency code, which triggered an audible alarm inside the cockpit. The sound roused the co-pilot, who managed to unlock the door.
The captain regained control and a doctor on board treated the co-pilot. The flight landed safely without further incident.
Details of the drama on flight LH1140 from Frankfurt and Seville have only just been released, despite the incident taking place on February 17, 2024.
The investigation has now recommended 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.
The latest 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.
