A Jet2 flight from Tenerife to Birmingham was forced to make an emergency landing in Porto, Portugal, after the pilot suffered a suspected heart attack. The incident occurred on Flight LS1266, which was carrying 220 passengers at 30,000 feet in the early hours of Friday, May 22.
Passengers described scenes of chaos as cabin crew urgently sought a medic among those on board. Lights flickered during the rapid descent, and children were heard crying as the aircraft lost altitude quickly. One passenger told The Sun: 'My partner and I were asleep when we were woken by chaos. 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.'
The aircraft touched down at Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport at 2:11 am local time, where emergency services boarded immediately. Medical personnel attended to the pilot in the cockpit before he was taken to hospital. Passengers remained on the plane for over an hour before disembarking and spent approximately 13 hours in the terminal while the airline arranged a replacement crew.
A pilot was flown from Manchester to Porto to operate a different aircraft to Birmingham. One passenger complained: 'We were stranded in Portugal for over 13 hours without accommodation... There was nowhere to stay. They said accommodation was too expensive.'
Jet2 apologised for the delay, stating: '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.'
