A Jet2 plane heading to Birmingham in Britain from Tenerife, Spain, had to make an emergency landing in Porto, Portugal, after the pilot suffered a suspected heart attack mid-flight.
Passengers recalled the moment they realised something had gone wrong, when lights began flashing on the plane and “visibly upset” cabin crew asked if there was a doctor on board.
The plane was then forced to make an emergency landing at Porto’s Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport, at 2.11am on Friday local time.
Speaking to the United Kingdom’s the Sun, a passenger recalled the “chaos” on board the flight.
“My partner and I were asleep when we were awoken by chaos. Lights began flashing and hostesses who were visibly upset, seeking a doctor,” the passenger said.
“Our 2-year-old began crying like many other children onboard because the aircraft was dropping so quickly for an emergency landing.”
Passengers reported the plane had a sudden drop in altitude as the crew, led by the less experienced first officer, rushed to make an emergency landing in Porto.
Emergency crews rushed to the plane after the landing, before the pilot was taken to hospital.
Around 220 passengers were forced to wait up to 13 hours at the Portuguese airport. They were then flown home to Birmingham with a different crew in the cockpit.
Jet2 reportedly flew a pilot from Manchester to Porto to then take the passengers to their original destination in Birmingham.
Speaking to the Sun, a passenger said they were “stranded” in Porto for 13 hours without accommodation.
“They wouldn’t let us off the plane itself for over an hour,” the passenger recalled.
“Then we were just left to wander around. There was nowhere to stay. They said accommodation was too expensive.
“The airline told us the pilot had suffered a heart attack in the cockpit. We have full sympathy for him of course.”
In a statement to the Sun, Jet2 said “Flight LS1266 from Tenerife to Birmingham diverted to Porto on Thursday (21st May), due to one of the pilots feeling unwell.
“At no point was safety compromised, and customers subsequently continued their journey,” the statement added, before apologising to customers for the delay.
Sign up to Herald Premium Editor’s Picks, delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Editor-in-Chief Murray Kirkness picks the week’s best features, interviews and investigations. Sign up for Herald Premium here.