A Southwest Airlines flight was forced to return to Las Vegas after a cockpit incident left the captain briefly unconscious during take-off. The Boeing 737-700 had just departed Las Vegas for Reno on 8 April when a head-up display (HUD) reportedly came loose and struck the captain on the head. According to reports from The Independent and Bild, the impact caused the pilot to lose consciousness momentarily.
The first officer immediately declared an emergency and returned the aircraft to Las Vegas. Air traffic control recordings indicate the co-pilot described the incident as a heavy object falling directly onto the captain’s head, leaving him disoriented and unwell.
The aircraft landed safely around 17 minutes after departure. No passengers or other crew members were injured. The captain was taken to hospital for observation.
The flight later resumed with a replacement pilot, arriving in Reno with a delay of approximately two hours.