- Jet2 flight from Tenerife to Birmingham diverted to Porto due to pilot's suspected heart attack
- Aircraft carrying 220 passengers made unscheduled landing at Porto's Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport
- Passengers described chaos as crew sought medical help during rapid descent and flickering lights
A Jet2 flight from Tenerife to Birmingham was forced to divert to Portugal after the captain suffered a suspected heart attack while the aircraft was cruising at 30,000ft, Metro.UK reported. The incident occurred on Flight LS1266 in the early hours of Friday (May 22). The plane, carrying 220 passengers, suddenly descended and made an unscheduled landing at Porto's Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport. Passengers described a tense scene as cabin crew rushed down the aisle, asking if anyone onboard had medical training. The report also mentioned that lights flickered during the rapid descent, and several children began crying as the plane lost altitude quickly for the unscheduled landing.
The aircraft touched down in Porto at 2:11 am (local time), with the emergency services boarding immediately, and medical staff attended to the pilot in the cockpit before he was taken to the hospital.
"My partner and I were asleep when we were woken by chaos," a passenger told The Sun on Sunday. "Lights began flashing and hostesses who were visibly upset, seeking a doctor. Our two-year-old began crying like many other children on board because the aircraft was dropping so quickly for an emergency landing."
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Airline said pilot had suffered a "heart attack"
The passengers reportedly remained onboard for over an hour before disembarking. They then spent around 13 hours in the terminal while Jet2 arranged a replacement crew. The airline flew in a new pilot from Manchester, and travellers continued to Birmingham later on a different aircraft.
"We were stranded in Portugal for over 13 hours without accommodation. They wouldn't let us off the plane itself for over an hour," a passenger said as quoted. "Then we were just left to wander around. There was nowhere to stay. They said accommodation was too expensive."
"The airline told us the pilot had suffered a heart attack in the cockpit. We have full sympathy for him of course."
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Official response
Jet2 said safety was never compromised. The airline apologised for the disruption. "Flight LS1266 from Tenerife to Birmingham diverted to Porto on Thursday (21st May), due to one of the pilots feeling unwell," the airline told The Sun. "At no point was safety compromised, and customers subsequently continued their journey. We would like to apologise to customers for this unforeseen delay."
