Pilot thought co-pilot who died in cockpit was joking - report

A aviator continued to alert aft his co-pilot suffered a cardiac apprehension and died - believing helium was playing a joke.

The aviator believed his workfellow was pretending to beryllium dormant and lone realised what had happened aft landing, a information study revealed.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch investigated the incident, successful Blackpool, truthful lessons could beryllium learned.

It concluded existent aesculapian assessments were acceptable but risks "can ne'er beryllium reduced to zero".

The report recovered the aviator who died was flying with a qualified aviator who was capable to onshore the craft safely but said "the result could person been different" connected a antithetic flight.

The 57-year-old, who had passed a aesculapian 4 months earlier, had agreed to articulation the the abbreviated travel aboard a G-BORL airy craft astir Blackpool Airport successful June.

Two pilots were needed for the formation owed to the upwind conditions.

The surviving aviator recalled however during the taxi the brace were talking usually and his colleague, who was besides a formation instructor, had remarked "looks good, determination is thing down you".

His caput past rolled backmost and the pilot, who knew the teacher well, thought helium was pretending to instrumentality a nap, the study said.

As the level turned the teacher slumped implicit with his caput resting connected the pilot's shoulder.

The study said: "The aviator inactive thought the teacher was conscionable joking with him and continued to alert the approach."

He aboriginal "landed normally" earlier helium "realised thing was wrong" and made a telephone for help.

A reappraisal by the Civil Aviation Authority's aesculapian section concluded the teacher had died from acute cardiac arrest.

The authorization said it continually reviewed wellness guidance and the "rarity" of accidents caused by cardiac events successful formation "suggests the equilibrium is presently astir right".