A British Airways captain and his co-pilot became ill after the pair breathed in a “foul odour” while at 30,000 feet.
The Captain and First Officer of the BA flight donned oxygen masks on Thursday morning (October 19) after reporting the stench.
The flight departed from Newcastle and landed at Heathrow with emergency services on the ground.
Both pilots were rushed to hospital after being assessed by medical staff at BA’s Crew Report Centre.
One source told The Sun: “This was a shocking incident. The immediate concern is obviously for the two pilots.
“But also striking is the worry about what could have happened had these two cockpit crew been intoxicated when they were still at the controls of a crowded jet at 25,000ft. It doesn’t bear thinking about.
“Investigations have started into this alarming incident.”
BA Shuttle 13C took off from Newcastle carrying as many as 180 passengers at 7.41am a full hour and 41 minutes after its scheduled departure time of 6am.
The Airbus A320 twin-jet landed at Heathrow at 9.14am an hour and 54 minutes behind schedule.
A British Airways spokesperson said: “The flight landed safely and customers disembarked normally following a minor technical issue with the aircraft.”
The news comes just days after a British Airways flight was forced to land at Heathrow after “smoke and fumes” poured from the cockpit on October 8.
That plane departed from Barcelona before landing at Heathrow. Emergency services attended the scene.
