What happened
On 30 September 2018, an Airbus A319-111, registration G-EZGR, was performing a commercial passenger flight arriving at Glasgow International Airport. The flight was the return leg of a duty that had begun the previous day. During the previous day's operations, the crew had experienced a go-around at Palma de Mallorca due to a wind shift near the runway.
During the approach to Glasgow, the co-pilot began experiencing increasing levels of anxiety. This escalated into a full anxiety attack during the final stages of the approach, after the commander mentioned the presence of windshear. Unable to continue his duties, the co-lag left the flight deck. The commander took sole control of the aircraft, declared a PAN1 urgency call to Air Traffic Control, and managed the landing alone. There were no injuries to the 148 passengers or 6 crew members on board, and no damage was sustained by the aircraft.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation examined the flight history, crew communications, and the psychological factors contributing to the incident. The investigation established that the co-pilot had been unsettled by the go-around event the previous day, which was his first experience of such a manoeuvre in the actual aircraft. This event, combined with a lack of sleep, contributed to his deteriorating mental state.
Investigators also looked into the communication between the two pilots and the availability of support systems. While the commander had noted the co-pilot seemed subdued, he did not perceive a level of distress that required intervention. Furthermore, the investigation found that the co-pilot was unaware of the airline's recently launched peer support and employee assistance programmes, which could have provided a confidential outlet for his concerns.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was an anxiety attack experienced by the co-pilot, triggered by the memory of a previous day's go-around and exacerbated by the mention of windshear during the approach.
- The co-pilot's ability to manage his emotional response was likely diminished by significant sleep deprivation following the previous day's events.
- There was a lack of effective communication between the crew members regarding the co-pilot's emotional wellbeing prior to the incident.
- The co-pilot was not aware of the operator's available peer support or employee assistance programmes at the time of the occurrence.