A flight from Germany to Mexico had to divert course and make an unexpected landing in Ireland after the pilot spilled coffee on the aircraft’s controls.
The Airbus jet, operated by Condor, was en route to Cancún from Frankfurt when the 49-year-old pilot, who has over 13,000 hours of flying experience, spilled a cup of piping hot coffee. The cabin crew had given the pilot the cup without a lid, and when the pilot knocked it over, some of the beverage splashed onto the audio control panel, according to CNN.
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The control panel became very hot and began smoking, emitting a burning smell. The equipment became so hot that a button on the control panel began to melt. The spilled coffee caused “significant communication difficulty for the flight crew,” and forced them to don oxygen masks.
After the unexpected landing, the plane was inspected and repaired and continued its flight to Mexico. The company later revised its policies.
“As safety is always our top priority, we have comprehensively investigated this incident and reviewed the procedures of liquids in the cockpit,” a spokesperson for Condor said in a statement. “Our crews were reminded of a careful handling as well as to use appropriate containers for their water or coffee.”
