A passenger plane captain blacked out and slumped on the controls while approaching the runway, forcing the co-pilot to wrestle control of the aircraft just metres from the ground, a new report reveals.
The jet was seconds from disaster as it veered off its intended flight path, dipping towards the sea before the co-pilot managed to steady it and regain control.
Details of the terrifying incident have now emerged in an official investigation, which found the captain had suddenly fallen ill mid-flight.
The Airbus A320, carrying 166 passengers, had been descending towards Nice when the pilot told his colleague he felt unwell and needed to hand over the landing.
Moments later, as the aircraft flew just a few hundred metres above the ground, he lost consciousness and slumped forward, unintentionally moving the controls.
The co-pilot tried repeatedly to rouse him but was forced to take over alone as the aircraft began banking left and right and dropping below its planned approach path.
The incident happened in August 2018 on a flight from Zurich to Nice, according to a report by the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board.
The sudden inputs from the unconscious captain caused the aircraft to tilt sharply from side to side, at one point reaching a bank angle of around 10 degrees as it drifted off course.
For about 20 seconds, the jet lost significant altitude and dropped below the correct landing path, bringing it dangerously close to the water off the Côte d’Azur.
The co-pilot quickly corrected the movements and pulled the aircraft back up, stabilising the approach as the runway came into view.
Pictured: Panorama of the French Riviera and Nice airport, France
This graphic in the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board report shows how far below the intended approach line (yellow) the aircraft (blue dots) was at times
With the plane just 60 metres above the ground, the captain regained consciousness and was immediately told to keep his hands away from the controls.
Around half a minute later, the aircraft landed safely, with the co-pilot alerting air traffic control to the medical emergency as the captain began vomiting in the cockpit.
Investigators later found the pilot had been suffering from food poisoning, with tests confirming he had been unwell throughout the flight.
Two similar incidents were reported in 2019.
On one flight from London to Zurich, a captain briefly lost consciousness, forcing the co-pilot to carry out the landing.
In another case on a Zurich to Porto route, a co-pilot was left so nauseous he could only manage radio communications during the descent.