Two Cathay Pacific captains lose eyesight during flights, sparking investigations by Hong Kong’s Air Accident Investigation Authority

One captain was flying from Perth to Hong Kong when he told his first officer that he felt out of breath and his vision was impaired

In second incident, captain suffered a sudden loss of visual acuity for about 30 minutes on flight from Sapporo

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Both incidents involving Cathay captains occurred earlier this year. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 12:50am, 24 Apr 2019Updated: 1:15am, 25 Apr 2019

Two Cathay Pacific Airways captains suffered loss of eyesight on separate flights earlier this year, forcing their co-pilots to take command of their aircraft and issue urgent calls to air traffic control before landing safely, Hong Kong’s aviation incident authority disclosed on Tuesday.

One captain was flying from Perth, Australia, to Hong Kong on flight CX170 on February 21 when he told his first officer, the co-pilot, that he felt out of breath and his vision was impaired, before declaring he was incapacitated, according to a preliminary report by the Air Accident Investigation Authority.

The Airbus A350 carrying 270 passengers and 13 crew members was flying over Manila at 6am at the time. The first officer took command of the aircraft.

The captain was given oxygen and his condition later stabilised. He remained conscious and in communication with the first officer and a senior purser, the report said.

Cathay Pacific says it is cooperating fully with the investigations. Photo: Winson Wong

The crew sought help from a passenger who was a medical professional, while asking the company doctor in Hong Kong for advice.

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