A flight attendant was forced to land a UK-bound jet carrying 146 passengers after the co-pilot had a mental breakdown over the Atlantic Ocean, an official report disclosed today.

Another attendant suffered wrist injuries as the crew forcibly removed the co-pilot from the cockpit controls and restrained him in a seat in the cabin, the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) said.

As the Air Canada plane made its way over the Atlantic, the captain of the Boeing 767 from Toronto to Heathrow asked staff to seek out any trained pilots onboard.

One of the female cabin crew came forward saying she had a commercial pilot’s licence and was asked to take over in the co-pilot’s seat.

The captain praised the attendant to investigators for helping him safely land the plane at Shannon, where the sick flight officer was removed and admitted to the acute psychiatric unit of Ennis Regional Hospital for 11 days.

He was later flown home to Canada by an air ambulance for further care, according to the investigation.

The official report did not directly refer to the co-pilot’s medical condition, but it did record the views of two doctors onboard that he was in a “confused and disorientated state” when the incident happened, in January this year.

The captain also reported that his senior colleague became uncharacteristically “belligerent and uncooperative” and was “effectively incapacitated”.

One passenger at the time reported seeing the distraught co-pilot yelling for God as he was being restrained.

The AAIU praised the actions of both the captain and crew in diverting to the nearest airport and removing the co-pilot from the controls.

“For his own well-being and the safety of the aircraft, the most appropriate course of action was to stand him down from duty and seek medical attention which was available on board,” said the report.

“The commander, realising he was faced with a difficult and serious situation, used tact and understanding and kept control of the situation at all times.

“The situation was dealt with in a professional manner... As such the commander and flight attendants should be commended for their professionalism in the handling of this event.”

There were no safety recommendations from the investigation.

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