Pilot food‑poisoning scare
An Airbus A320 captain reportedly suffered food poisoning and began passing out midflight, at one point slamming the controls — the incident is now under investigation. Authorities and aviation communities are tracking the probe into what led to the incapacitation and control input. (x.com)
The event involved SWISS flight LX564, an Airbus A320‑214 registered HB‑IJP, carrying 166 passengers from Zurich to Nice on 26 August 2018. (sust.admin.ch) The STSB file says the captain reported feeling unwell as the aircraft began its descent, handed control to the first officer and then lost consciousness; while incapacitated his body made sidestick inputs that produced a 10° right bank and later an 8° left bank, both corrected by the co‑pilot. (simpleflying.com) Investigators found the aircraft remained below the ideal glide path during the approach, the captain regained consciousness at about 200 feet and the co‑pilot completed a safe landing on runway 04L with no injuries or damage reported. (simpleflying.com) Post‑flight medical testing identified food poisoning as the cause of the captain’s sudden incapacitation, and the STSB concluded the event was health‑related with no safety‑relevant defects requiring regulatory action. (sust.admin.ch) After touchdown the first officer declared a “Pan‑Pan” medical emergency, stopped the aircraft on the taxiway for first responders, and the captain was observed vomiting once the engines had been shut down. (simpleflying.com) The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board published its findings in March 2026 after reviewing flight‑data and medical evidence from the 26 August 2018 LX564 occurrence. (simpleflying.com)
