Flybe praised for handling of co-pilot seizure on Jersey flight

Flybe praised for handling of co-pilot seizure on Jersey flight

The incident, which caused a member of cabin crew to fall and sustain minor injuries, happened on 5 August last year after the Dash 8 aircraft had taken off from Inverness Airport in Scotland.

A new report published by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has praised the crew for how they handled the emergency.

Outlining the incident, the report states that while the plane, which had 43 passengers and four crew on-board, was at an altitude of 25,000 feet the captain looked over at his co-pilot and noticed he was shaking and leaning back in his seat, looking up towards the ceiling with his arms and hands tensed. He then called the co-pilot’s name three times without receiving a response.

On realising that the co-pilot was incapacitated, the captain tried to make a public address, but he selected the wrong intercom. However, the senior flight attendant, who was towards the rear of the cabin conducting service at the time, went immediately to the flight deck.

‘While making her way forward, the aircraft slewed and she had to hold on to a seat to stop falling over. At the same time, cabin attendant three fell over at the rear of the cabin and was helped to her feet by a passenger after which she carried on with her duties.’

The report also said that when the most senior cabin crew member went into the cockpit, she could see the co-pilot was grey in the face, had blue lips and a rigid body but was still breathing.

While restraining him, she attempted to move the rudder controls away from the co-pilot using an ‘adjustment handle’ but this proved impossible.

The co-pilot then suffered a second, more violent seizure which caused him to repeatedly push onto the aircraft’s rudder pedals again and disconnect the autopilot. The captain then declared an emergency with air traffic control and the plane diverted to Manchester Airport.

The senior flight attendant and captain discussed taking the incapacitated pilot out of the cockpit but it was decided that this was not practical and a passenger was instructed to stand at the door to the cockpit until a few moments before landing to help the flight crew should they need it.

The captain made a successful landing at Manchester where paramedics took the co-pilot off the plane and to hospital, where he remained for three hours before being discharged.

It was later revealed that the co-pilot had not shown any symptoms which may have given the flight crew prior warning about what was about to happen.

The report praised the flight crew’s handling of the emergency and said: ‘This serious incident was the result of the co-pilot suffering a medical incapacitation which was professionally managed by the aircraft commander supported by the SCCM [senior flight attendant] on the flight deck and the CA3 [flight attendant three] in the passenger cabin.’

Responding to the report, a spokeswoman for Flybe said that all airlines
trained their crew to be prepared for all possible incidents, including a pilot becoming incapacitated during flight.

‘The report duly recognises that the crew immediately and efficiently implemented the required precautionary procedures necessary to ensure the continued safe operation of the aircraft and the flight landed safely without further incident,’ she said.

‘Flybe crews are highly trained professionals and such procedures are reinforced on a regular basis with the safety of its passengers and crew remaining its highest priority at all times.’

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