A Jet2 flight bound for Birmingham was forced into an emergency landing after the pilot suffered a suspected heart attack mid-air, leaving British holidaymakers shaken.
Incident Details
Flight LS1266 was en route from Tenerife to Birmingham with 220 passengers on board when cabin crew were seen sprinting down the aisle, visibly tearful, and asking if any passengers had medical training. The aircraft suddenly lost altitude and diverted to an unscheduled landing in Porto, with the first officer taking control.
One witness told The Sun: "We were awoken by chaos. Lights began flashing and hostesses who were visibly upset, seeking a doctor. Our two-year-old began crying like many other children onboard because the aircraft was dropping so quickly for an emergency landing."
Emergency Response
Video footage captured the plane touching down safely in Porto at 2:11 am on Friday, where emergency services immediately attended to the stricken pilot. Passengers were kept on the plane for over an hour before being allowed to disembark.
"We were stranded in Portugal for over 13 hours without accommodation," one passenger recalled. "They wouldn't let us off the plane itself for over an hour. Then we were just left to wander around. There was nowhere to stay. They said accommodation was too expensive." The passenger added they had "full sympathy" for the pilot.
Jet2 Response
Jet2 flew a replacement pilot from Manchester to Porto to bring the stranded passengers home. Affected passengers were offered a free transfer onto any Jet2 flight heading to one of 14 UK destinations over the following week.
Jet2 reportedly stated: "Flight LS1266 from Tenerife to Birmingham diverted to Porto on Thursday (21st May), due to one of the pilots feeling unwell. At no point was safety compromised, and customers subsequently continued their journey. We would like to apologise to customers for this unforeseen delay."
