An EasyJet flight to Manchester was forced to make an emergency landing in Greece after the pilot collapsed at the controls. Panic erupted on board as cabin crew abandoned their drinks trolleys and rushed to the front of the aircraft while screaming for medical assistance. "At first we thought this may of been a passenger as nothing much was being said other than the screams asking if anyone is medically trained, where a few passengers got up and assisted the cabin crew," one passenger told the Manchester Evening News.
Staff quickly erected a screen around the gravely ill pilot before announcing the aircraft would need to make an emergency landing, sending the cabin into further panic. "The ride began to get very rough & scary and as we approached the runway," the passenger said. "We started to panic. I got upset once I felt how rocky and rough the landing was and started to panic thinking it was the end.". The co-pilot successfully landed the plane at Athens airport where emergency vehicles were waiting on the tarmac. Passengers praised the co-pilot's efforts, giving them a "very big well done".
Travellers were left stranded in Athens following the incident, with some facing a two-hour wait for coach transport. An EasyJet spokesman said: "EasyJet can confirm that flight EZY2252 from Hurghada to Manchester yesterday evening was diverted to Athens due to the Captain requiring medical assistance. "The First Officer performed a routine landing in accordance with standard operating procedures and the aircraft was met by paramedics on arrival in Athens.
"We did all possible to minimise the impact of the disruption and arranged hotel rooms and meals where available. "We would like to apologise to passengers for the inconvenience caused and thank them for their patience and understanding.". It comes after a jet was forced to make an emergency landing at Gatwick Airport when two swans smashed into its windscreen just seconds after take-off. The Tui aircraft, bound for Cape Verde, was climbing through 1,000ft when the birds struck at around 185mph, cracking the cockpit window.
