Ryanair Flight Nears Collision with Helicopter Over Stansted Airport

On March 8, 2024, a Ryanair flight from Szczecin, Poland, came perilously close to a midair collision with a helicopter while approaching Stansted Airport. The near-miss occurred due to a co-pilot error, where he failed to inform the captain that he had turned off the autopilot during the handover of control, resulting in the aircraft descending approximately 550 feet from an altitude of 3,000 feet. During this descent, the plane was only 300 feet above a helicopter flying at 2,000 feet, and the aircraft had fallen into an altitude not approved by Air Traffic Control. The captain regained control and safely landed the plane, carrying 172 passengers and six crew members. An Air Accidents Investigation Branch report highlighted the co-pilot's lack of experience in handing over control during manual flight and noted the absence of a formal response protocol for such situations. In response, Ryanair is expected to revise its training and procedural manuals to prevent similar incidents in the future.