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

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 Tuesday. One captain was flying from Australia to Hong Kong Feb 21 when he told the co-pilot that he felt out of breath and his vision was impaired, before declaring he was incapacitated. The captain was given oxygen and his condition later stabilised. And Jan 26, the captain on a flight between Sapporo and Hong Kong suffered a sudden loss of visual acuity for about 30 minutes. The authority said an investigation team was analysing data collected to determine the circumstances and causes. Each investigation was expected to take about 12 months. <br/>