Southwest Airlines Captain Knocked Unconscious by Falling HUD, First Officer Safely Returns Flight
Recently, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 experienced a dangerous situation during takeoff roll – the captain's Head-Up Display (HUD) suddenly detached, striking the captain in the head and causing him to lose consciousness. The first officer took sole control of the aircraft, declared an emergency, and safely returned to the airport.
It is understood that the flight involved was WN568, operated by a Boeing 737-700 with registration number N200WN, originally scheduled to fly from Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport to Reno-Tahoe International Airport.
According to air traffic control recordings, at the time of the incident, the aircraft was in the takeoff roll when the HUD on the captain's side detached without warning, directly hitting the captain's head. The first officer immediately reported the emergency to approach control and took over all flight controls.
The HUD is a critical piece of equipment installed above the cockpit windshield, used to project flight parameters into the pilot's field of vision. It is relatively large and not lightweight. According to the first officer's description to ground control, the HUD struck the captain heavily on the head when it detached, causing him to experience blurred vision and vomiting, resulting in serious injuries.
Under the sole control of the first officer, the aircraft aligned with runway 26L and completed a visual approach, landing safely and taxiing to the gate without any delays. Airport emergency medical services (EMS) were already on standby at the gate, and the captain was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment.
Regarding the specific cause of the HUD detachment, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Southwest Airlines have not yet released official investigation conclusions.
Notably, around the same time, a Boeing 737 aircraft operated by Romanian airline Tarom also experienced an incapacitation event involving cockpit crew – the first officer fainted during flight due to excessive fatigue, forcing the captain to declare an emergency.
The investigation revealed that the first officer had not had sufficient rest the night before the duty and continued to operate the return flight despite feeling unwell during the outbound flight.
These two incidents occurred in close proximity and both involved sudden incapacitation of personnel in the cockpit of Boeing 737 series aircraft.
Commercial flights require at least two pilots to be on board to cope with extreme situations where one crew member is unable to continue performing their duties.