Lufthansa B744 over Atlantic on Nov 19th 2012, first officer incapacitated
Last Update: November 11, 2013 / 17:12:02 GMT/Zulu time
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Nov 19, 2012
Classification
Incident
Airline
Lufthansa
Aircraft Registration
D-ABVH
Aircraft Type
Boeing 747-400
ICAO Type Designator
B744
- The Flight Crew were properly licensed.
- As the flight progressed, the F/O became increasingly ill and was unable to carry out his duties on the flight deck.
- Another pilot was found among the passengers who was able to assist in the cockpit.
- The flight diverted to a suitable airport where a safe landing was made.
- The Commander utilised the principles of CRM to deal effectively with the situation.
The AAIU reported that the captain (46, ATPL, 15,300 hours total, 554 hours on type) was pilot monitoring, the first officer (35, ATPL, 7,513 hours total, 1,913 hours on type) was pilot flying. While enroute at FL380 over the Newfoundland (Canada) the first officer stated he felt tired and requested a 10 minute rest. The commander took over as pilot flying, the first officer took a short sleep. After the first officer woke up again he reported he was still feeling tired, dizzy and unable to concentrate. The captain requested the purser to check whether any doctors were on board, 3 passengers responded, the first officer was taken to the rest area aft of the cockpit and went to sleep again. When he woke up again he reported severe headache and began vomitting. The principal doctor then advised the captain that the first officer would not be able to return to duty and should be taken to a hospital. By then the aircraft had already reached 30 degrees W over the Atlantic, the captain consulted with medical services via radio and decided to divert to Dublin. A check of the passenger manifest showed a Boeing 767 captain of another airline with 11,000 hours flying experience was amongst the passengers, the captain checked his license and accepted the assistance permitting "him to sit in the F/O’s seat, while performing PM duties under his command and supervision." The captain declared Mayday and landed the aircraft on Dublin's runway 10.
The first officer was taken to a hospital, checked and permitted to travel on on D-ABVH, that departed Dublin flown by a relief crew about 8 hours later. The first officer was then taken to a hospital in Frankfurt, in the meantime he has recovered and revalidated his licenses.
The AAIU commented: "Later a more serious situation developed where the F/O became incapacitated and thus unfit for duty, with medical advice being that he should be brought to hospital. This resulted in a serious situation with an en-route diversion being made into an airport which was not on the original flight plan and where the aircraft was not expected. Consequently, with a higher than normal workload and no crosscheck available from his F/O, the Commander correctly sought additional resources from within the aircraft. With the assistance of the Cabin Crew, an experienced captain was located who was qualified on an aircraft type somewhat similar to the incident aircraft type. Although the aircraft size and the number of engines were dissimilar, nevertheless the same operational philosophy and systems design tend to carry from one aircraft to another within a Manufacturer’s line of products. Consequently this pilot was a good choice and was adequately equipped to provide additional assistance in this situation."
Incident Facts
Date of incident
Nov 19, 2012
Classification
Incident
Airline
Lufthansa
Aircraft Registration
D-ABVH
Aircraft Type
Boeing 747-400
ICAO Type Designator
B744
This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
Article source
Read unlimited articles and receive our daily update briefing. Gain better insights into what is happening in commercial aviation safety.
Send tip
Support AeroInside by sending a small tip amount.
Related articles
Lufthansa B744 enroute on Nov 1st 2013, first officer incapacitated
A Lufthansa Boeing 747-400, registration D-ABVH performing flight LH-757 from Mumbai (India) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany) with 249 passengers and 16…
Lufthansa B744 over Atlantic on Mar 8th 2013, smoke on board
A Lufthansa Boeing 747-400, registration D-ABVH performing flight LH-499 (dep Mar 7th) from Mexico City (Mexico) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), had…
Lufthansa B748 near Nantes on May 19th 2022, burning odour in cockpit and cabin
A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8, registration D-ABYP performing flight LH-506 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil), was enroute…
Lufthansa B748 enroute on Apr 18th 2022, unruly lavatories
A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8, registration D-ABYR performing flight LH-431 from Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), had been enroute at…
Lufthansa A343 at Frankfurt on Apr 3rd 2022, flaps problems on departure
A Lufthansa Airbus A340-300, registration D-AIGU performing flight LH-778 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Singapore (Singapore), was climbing out of…
Lufthansa A343 at Frankfurt on Mar 14th 2022, door open indication
A Lufthansa Airbus A340-300, registration D-AIGS performing flight LH-772 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Bangkok (Thailand), was in the initial…
Lufthansa B744 over English Channel on Feb 7th 2022, engine shut down in flight
A Lufthansa Boeing 747-400, registration D-ABTK performing flight LH-400 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to New York JFK,NY (USA), was enroute at FL330…
Newest articles
Chrono B732 at Iqaluit and Montreal on May 2nd 2022, untrue tyres
A Chrono Jet Boeing 737-200, registration C-GTVO performing flight MBK-797 from Iqaluit,NU to Montreal St. Hubert,QC (Canada) with 3 crew, was…
Mesa B734 at Cincinnati and Minneapolis on May 24th 2022, tyre damage on departure damages gear
A Mesa Airlines Boeing 737-400 freighter, registration N708DA performing flight YV-1585 from Cincinnati,KY to Minneapolis,MN (USA) with 2 crew,…
Subscribe today
Are you researching aviation incidents? Get access to AeroInside Insights, unlimited read access and receive the daily newsletter.
Pick your plan and subscribePartner

A new way to document and demonstrate airworthiness compliance and aircraft value. Find out more.

ELITE Simulation Solutions is a leading global provider of Flight Simulation Training Devices, IFR training software as well as flight controls and related services. Find out more.
Get updates
Never miss an article from AeroInside. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and join 5148 existing subscribers.
AeroInside Blog
Popular aircraft
Airbus A320Boeing 737-800
Boeing 737-800 MAX
Popular airlines
American AirlinesUnited
Delta
Air Canada
Lufthansa
British Airways