What happened
On 14 October 2009, an Airbus A321-231, registration G-MEDF, was conducting a scheduled passenger flight from Freetown, Sierra Leone, to London Heathrow Airport. During the transit, the commander began experiencing symptoms of illness. While the initial bout of sickness subsided and the pilot initially elected to continue the flight after consulting with the crew, his physical condition subsequently worsened.
As the flight progressed, the commander's health deteriorated to the point where he could no longer assist in the operation of the aircraft. Consequently, he formally handed over command to the co-pilot, who took over the role of Pilot Flying. The frequency of the commander's illness increased, necessitating periods of absence from the flight deck. To assist with the situation, a cabin crew member, who was traveling as a positioning crew member, was seated on the flight deck jump seat to provide support.
Due to the commander's medical state, the crew initiated a diversion to Malaga, Spain. The aircraft landed at Malaga without incident, where medical personnel were waiting to meet the aircraft. The commander was transported to a hospital and later made a full recovery.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report form provided by the pilot. Investigators reviewed the sequence of the commander's medical episodes and the subsequent crew response. Medical examinations were conducted to identify the underlying cause of the commander's sickness, but these tests failed to establish a specific medical reason for the episode.