Description

On 19 October 2022, an Embraer E175-200 (PH-EXI) operated by KLM City Hopper on a scheduled international passenger flight from Dublin to Amsterdam was passing FL 100 when the first officer indicated to the captain that he was unwell and then collapsed in his seat. The captain took over and called for assistance from the cabin crew to secure the first officer in his seat, remove him from proximity to the flight controls, and provide him with emergency oxygen. The captain then declared a MAYDAY and made an uneventful return to Dublin apart from encountering a flock of small birds just before touchdown, striking one of them.

Investigation

An Investigation was carried out by the Irish AAIU and a Factual Report was compiled on completion.

The 32-year-old captain had a total of 6,330 hours flying experience, which included 3,200 hours on type. The 35-year-old first officer had total of 6,169 hours flying experience, which included 3,430 hours on type.

What Happened

The flight was the return leg of an Amsterdam-Dublin flight for which the pilots had a report time of 0435Z at what was their home base. For the captain, it was the first duty day after three days off, and for the first officer, it was the first flight after his annual medical examination the previous day. This flight was described as “uneventful."