Pilot breaks in cockpit: display knocks out captain

Las Vegas (USA) – In the middle of the climb, suddenly nothing works in the cockpit: On a flight operated by the American airline Southwest Airlines, the captain suddenly falls unconscious.

Flight WN568, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, took off from the gaming metropolis of Las Vegas on April 19th to Reno in the US state of Nevada. The aircraft takes off from runway 26R and is climbing when a dramatic incident occurs in the cockpit: The first officer reports to the tower via radio that the captain was hit in the head by a head-up display (HUD) that had come loose from its anchorage during the take-off run. The pilot is knocked out

“He started puking”

The first officer reacts immediately and reports an emergency to the tower. The Boeing turns around and returns to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas (LAS). When asked by the tower, the co-pilot said, “Yes, it’s the HUD on the captain’s side – it came down during the takeoff run and hit him pretty hard in the head.” And further: “The thing is huge, it came down, hit him on the head, a few stars slipped in front of his eyes and he started puking.”

Approximately 17 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft touched down safely on runway 26L in Las Vegas. All passengers and crew members were able to leave the jet unharmed. The injured captain is pushed out of the Boeing in a wheelchair and taken to the hospital for observation.

After around 90 minutes on the ground, the aircraft can take off again with a replacement captain and continue the journey to Reno. The Boeing 737-700 reaches its destination two hours late.