What happened
On 16 November 2012, an Etihad Airways Airbus A320-232, registration A6-EII, was conducting a scheduled passenger flight from Kuwait International Airport to Abu Dhabi International Airport. While the aircraft was approximately 7.1 nautical miles southeast of the airport, descending through 2,400 feet, the captain—who was acting as the pilot flying—began communicating in an unusual and incoherent manner.
The co-pilot, acting as the pilot monitoring, observed the captain slumped toward the left side of the cockpit. After several unsuccessful attempts to rouse the captain, the co-pilot assumed control of the aircraft and declared an emergency with air traffic control. Despite the medical crisis, the co-pilot managed the flight effectively, and the aircraft landed safely without further incident. Following the landing, the aircraft remained on the runway because the co-pilot was not authorized by company policy to taxi the aircraft alone. The captain was subsequently transported to a hospital for medical treatment.
The investigation
The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) Air Accident Investigation Sector conducted the inquiry, which included analysis of the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. The investigation focused on the medical circumstances surrounding the captain's sudden loss of consciousness and the regulatory frameworks governing pilot medical assessments.
Findings
- The captain's incapacitation was caused by an embolic event (stroke).
- The underlying cause of the stroke was identified as antiphospholipid (APS) syndrome.
- The medical examiner was only aware of the captain's hypertension, as no other significant details of his medical history were provided.
- Existing regulatory medical examination requirements at the time were unable to detect the specific syndrome, which prevented the implementation of necessary therapies or medications to mitigate the risk of such an event.