2013 Boeing 747-400 Medical Emergency

Incident Overview and Flight Details On November 1, 2013, a German-operated Boeing 747-400 was en route from Mumbai (BOM) to Frankfurt (FRA) when a serious incident occurred. The aircraft, a widebody jet with four jet engines and retractable landing gear, was manufactured in 1991 with serial number 25045 and powered by General Electric CF6-80C2B1F engines. It was certified for commercial operations in Germany. The flight carried 249 passengers and 16 crew members. ## Medical Emergency and Crew Response Approximately 3.5 hours into the flight, at 01:30 UTC, the senior first officer (SFO) informed the captain of feeling unwell and shortly afterward vomited. A doctor on board was called via the public address system, administered an intravenous infusion, and monitored the SFO's pulse and blood pressure. By 02:30 UTC, the doctor reported the SFO was improving. At 04:20 UTC, the SFO attempted to return to the cockpit but could not stand, and remained under medical care for the remainder of the flight. ## Landing and Aftermath The captain decided to continue to Frankfurt. The purser took the SFO's cockpit seat to assist the captain during the approach. The aircraft landed uneventfully on runway 25L at Frankfurt, where all navigation aids, including an ILS, were available. The SFO was attended to by airport ambulance personnel after landing. No injuries, damage, or fire occurred. ## Crew Qualifications The 52-year-old captain held a valid license, medical certificate, and type rating for the Boeing 747-400, with 6,156:48 hours on type and 16,454:30 total hours. The 40-year-old copilot also held valid credentials, with 4,146:27 hours on type and 8,410:00 total hours. ## Investigation The German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU) closed the investigation summarily under § 18 FlUUG, focusing solely on facts. The report, issued on February 10, 2014, was conducted in accordance with EU Regulation 996/2010 and the German Aircraft Accident Investigation Act, with the sole purpose of preventing future accidents and incidents.